Rapture
by ichilover3
Summary: Their relationship had never been defined. Labels were never for them, anyway. Hitsukarin, Ichiruki
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! It's been a while, I know. I've just been really busy with school. Applying for college is no joke, people. Anyway, I've been working on this fic for a really long time now, and I'm still no where near done. Sigh. Well, here it is. I hope you like! ^_^**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Rukia would have appeared and knocked some sense into Ichigo. If you're caught up on the manga, you know what I'm talking about!**

* * *

When he suddenly climbed through her window, she almost drop-kicked him.

_ "Jesus, Toshiro," she hissed. "What the hell? You can't just come through a window like that!"_

_ "Sorry. Did I scare you?" He smirked, not looking apologetic at all._

_ Karin scoffed. "No. I just almost kung fu-ed your ass."_

_ Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow slowly. "Must you be so vulgar?"_

_ She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Must you piss me off?"_

_ He sighed then, unceremoniously grabbing her by her waist and shunpoing to the roof of the house. _

_ Karin exhaled slowly when her feet touched the shingles. "I told you to warn me when you do that."_

_ "Sorry." He sat down, immediately distracted by the stars._

_ She sat down next to him, trying to watch him without being too obvious. It had been three months since the last time he visited her, and she couldn't help herself. Though she wouldn't admit it, she enjoyed his company._

_ "What brings you here this time?" Karin asked._

_ His turquoise eyes shifted from the sky to her. "Matsumoto wanted to go shopping here and I came to make sure she wouldn't max out my credit card."_

_ "You have a credit card?" She asked, confused._

_ "All captains do. It's so we can buy what we need in the human world."_

_ "Oh. Why does Rangiku-san have it?"_

_ He sighed. "I lost a bet. I would rather not talk about it."_

_ She grinned, wondering if she could wheedle it out of him. A sudden gust of wind sent her hair whipping around her face._

_ "Jeez," she huffed, pushing it back into place._

_ "You grew out your hair," Hitsugaya observed._

_ "Yeah," she replied. Before it had barely grazed her chin, but now it flowed to her shoulders. "Don't tell me you just figured that out, Toshiro."_

_ He didn't answer, just continued to look at her._

_ "I've been too lazy to get it cut, but it really is a pain in my ass," Karin rambled on. "If I knew it wouldn't look shitty I would do it myself."_

_ "No," he suddenly said._

_ She eyed him strangely. "What do you mean, no?"_

_ His hand snaked out, and he lazily wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger. "I think…I like it long. It looks good this way." Then, as if he hadn't just made her stop breathing, he took his hand back and returned his gaze to the sky._

_ Karin coughed awkwardly, trying to ignore her twisting stomach. "W-Well what about you, Toshiro?"_

_ Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow._

_ "Your hair defies gravity! What do you do, use a lot of gel or something?"_

_ He stared at her blankly for a second, and then smirked._

Her eyes popped open.

The sun streamed in through the window, and a quick glance showed that Yuzu was already downstairs.

Karin sat up, sighing. What had made her dream of that? That had happened six months ago.

Ever since she met him at age ten, Toshiro came to visit her when he was in the area. It wasn't often, but when he did, they would just sit and talk about nothing.

That dream was anything but—it had actually happened, and it was the last time that she saw him.

Getting out of bed, Karin raked her fingers through her hair, which now reached her lower back.

Great. Now she was pissed.

* * *

**A/N: Just a little intro. I know it's not much yet, but review and let me know what you think so far. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thanks for the reviews, they were really helpful. Well, I don't have much to say, except I don't think I've advertised in this story yet. Here goes: If you love Hitsukarin (which I'm sure all of you do) I have written another fic called _Frosted Dreams_. If you love Ichiruki, I've written a series of oneshots called _Oblivious Love_ and a chapter-fic called _Oh Baby!_. And, by any chance, if anyone had read Inuyasha and loves Sesshomaru/Rin, I've got your back! (_Eternity_). Something for everyone! Whew! Now that that's out of my system, we can proceed with the fic!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, there would be more Urahara/Yoruichi backstory. They are the definition of a power couple.**

* * *

"You're lucky I love you, Ichi-nii," Karin muttered as the saleswoman poked and prodded her.

"Aaannnd, done!" the woman exclaimed, turning Karin around so that her family could see.

Yuzu gasped. "Karin-chan! You're so beautiful!"

Isshin burst into tears. "Masaki, our girls are growing up!"

Rukia rolled her eyes, but smiled at Karin. "You really do look great, Karin."

Karin resisted the urge to glare at her. "Why do I have to wear this dress anyway?"

"Because it's _my_ wedding." Rukia put her hands on her hips. "I'll wear whatever you want to _your_ wedding."

"It really is a wonderful color," added the woman who worked at the bridal shop. She placed a yellow headband in Karin's hair.

The dress was a muted yellow and had a poofy, princess-style bottom that ended just past her knees. Even Karin had to admit it was beautiful, but it looked better on Yuzu than on her.

Dresses weren't really her style.

"Oh, Karin-chan!" Yuzu rushed over to hug her twin, her own bridesmaid dress swaying with her movement. She had kept her signature pixie cut, and like Karin she was now seventeen.

"Believe me, it looks better on you, Yuzu."

"Don't be silly. You both look perfect." Rukia smiled, a whimsical look in her eye. "I think the only one who can upstage you two is me."

Isshin was now bawling, holding the saleswoman in a tight hug. The woman patted his back awkwardly.

Karin inwardly sighed, trying to ignore her family's antics.

* * *

"TAI-CHO!"

Hitsugaya sighed, looking up from his paperwork. "What is it, Matsumoto?"

"You'll never guess what I got!" The buxom woman smiled, running to her captain's desk.

"What?"

"Guess!"

"Matsumoto, you just said that I would never guess, so why would I waste my time trying?"

Matsumoto giggled. "You're funny, taicho."

Hitsugaya's aquamarine eyes narrowed. "Have you been drinking, Matsumoto?"

Her eyes widened. "No, of course not." Pause. "Maybe." Pause. "You can't prove it."

He closed his eyes, trying to control his annoyance. "I don't have time for this. I have a lot of paperwork to finish."

"All you ever do is do paperwork, taicho," Matsumoto replied, pouting. "You need to have some fun. Live a little!"

"If a certain fukutaicho did her job, maybe I wouldn't have to do so much paperwork!" he said, his voice rising.

"I'll get right to talking to Nanao about that," Matsumoto answered, grinning ear to ear, "but in the meantime—TA-DA! The invitation to Ichigo and Rukia's wedding!"

Hitsugaya reluctantly took the envelope that was being waved in his face.

Matsumoto winked. "It's in the human world, taicho."

His eyes scanned the invitation. So it was.

"Perfect excuse to see Karin-chan, eh?"

He glared at her. "What are you implying?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" she winked again. "Gotta run, taicho! I'm meeting Kira for drinks. I'll finish the paperwork later, 'kay?" Without waiting for an answer, she bounded out of the office.

"Why do I put up with her?" Hitsugaya muttered to himself, fiddling with the invitation in his hands.

He leaned back in his chair. _Kurosaki Karin, huh?_

* * *

"This is ridiculous," twelve-year-old Karin spat at no one in particular. "How are we supposed to leave if all those girls are blocking the way out?"

_"What do you think they're looking at, Karin-chan?" Yuzu asked, holding her books close to her chest._

_"KAWAII!" the crowd squealed, a couple of girls swooning._

_"I couldn't care less," Karin scoffed, adjusting her backpack. "School's over. They need to get out of my way."_

_She was forcefully pushing her way through the crowd, Yuzu following sheepishly behind her, when she saw the cause of all the commotion._

_A boy leaned against the gate, his arms crossed. He was a little taller than the last time she had seen him, and his snowy hair waved in the breeze as he plainly ignored the girls that practically drooled over him._

_"Toshiro?" Karin practically yelled._

_At the sound of his name, his eyes met hers._

_"Oh, so it's you, Toshiro-kun," Yuzu piped up, smiling. "How have you been? I haven't seen you around in a while."_

_"I'm fine," he answered pleasantly. "I've just been busy. How are you?"_

_"What are you doing here?" Karin interrupted rudely._

_He raised an eyebrow. "What does it look like? I'm here to pick you up."_

_"Since—since when do you pick me up?" _

_He rolled his eyes. "Since I have nothing better to do. Are we leaving or what?"_

_Karin flushed. Nothing to do _her ass_. Since when did he ever have free time?  
Yuzu watched them, a smile lighting up her face. "You know what? I forgot that Jinta-kun and I have a date today. Go on without me. It was nice seeing you again, Toshiro-kun!"_

_Hitsugaya's attention had been focused on Yuzu's retreating form, and he was surprised to find Karin walking in the opposite direction. Escaping the crowd of girls, he quickly caught up to her._

_"Must be hard being drop-dead gorgeous," Karin said offhandedly._

_He smirked. "I didn't know you felt that way."_

_She flushed. "I-I never said that _I_ think you're gorgeous." Which she did._ _"I only meant that your little fangirls did."_

_"I've heard kawaii," he mused, enjoying embarrassing her, "but 'gorgeous' is a first. Thank you."_

_Her face felt so hot, she knew she must be redder than a tomato. Not surprisingly, she did what she always did when she was uncomfortable. _

_She got angry._

_"Who would find a chibi-captain like you attractive?" she seethed._

_His eyes widened, a little taken aback. "Chibi?"_

_She glared at him. "You heard me!"_

_His face contorted into one of rage. "I'm taller than _you_!"_

_"Nice accomplishment—taller than a twelve-year-old girl! Good job, _chibi-taicho._"_

_He gave her a look that would have sent anyone else running for their lives, the temperature around them dropping a good ten degrees. Kurosaki Karin, however, was made of tougher stuff, and glared right back._

_Neither said a word after that, instinctively walking to a place they both knew well—the place that Karin used to find Hitsugaya, fiddling with his phone._

_She leaned on the railing, as did he, and they looked over Karakura in silence._

_Finally, she spoke. "What's the matter?"_

_Turquoise eyes met onyx ones. "Why do you think something's the matter?"_

_She looked away. "I don't know. You came and found me. I just figured you wanted to talk."_

_He was quiet for a moment. "The war is starting," he finally said. "Aizen is making his move. We all have to be ready."_

_"Even Ichi-nii?"_

_He nodded, and she looked scared for a split second. Then, she smiled. "Well, I guess you'll have to tell me about it the next time you're in Karakura."_

_His head snapped towards her. "I don't think you understand. This is a war."_

_His change of tone startled her, and she watched as panic began to dance across his features._

_"People _die_ in wars, Karin. This could be the last time I see you. I could die, your brother could die, we all could die! We could lose, did you ever think of that! Aizen could win, and then everything would be over." _

_It was silent for a moment. Then she smiled. "Ichi-nii is too stubborn to die," Karin said decidedly. "But _you,_ Taicho-san," she added, tapping his forehead for emphasis, "seem to have lost confidence in yourself."_

_Hitsugaya's eyes widened in surprise, and Karin grabbed his hand in the heat of the moment. "It'll all work out," she said softly, giving it a light squeeze. "I believe in you."_

_They stood in silence once again, watching the sun set._

* * *

**A/N: Aww! Honestly, they are just too perfect for one another to not end up together! Come on, Kubo-sensei, work with me here! Maybe if we all sign a petition or something...Okay enough rambling. Review, Review! You know you have something to say! ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, the next installment. Finally, the reunion! I don't really have much to say, so on with the story!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Orihime would have hugged Ulquiorra. Does anybody else think that he was so emo that he just needed a _hug_?**

* * *

Karin yawned, slowly making her way down the steps.

"You invited _Kenpachi?_"

Oh great. Her dysfunctional family was up as well.

Everyone sat eating breakfast, and Ichigo and Rukia, sitting next to each other, looked thoroughly pissed.

"Well what did you want me to do, Ichigo?" Rukia fumed. "I couldn't just _not_ invite him!"

"You do realize there probably won't be a wedding now," he spat, "I'll be too busy trying not to get _killed!_"

"Oh, there _will_ be a wedding." Rukia looked murderous.

"Suck it up, Ichi-nii," Karin said absentmindedly, sitting down.

He gaped, surprised his sister and fiancée were ganging up on him.

"All of the Soul Society guests are arriving today, so I suggest you figure out how to handle him," Rukia added smugly.

They began arguing again, but Karin didn't listen. _The Soul Society guests? Does that mean I will see _him_?_

Wolfing down the rest of her breakfast, she stood up. "I've got to go. Don't worry, Yuzu, I'll be back for dinner," she added before her twin could ask.

"Okay, Karin-chan," Yuzu called in vain. Karin was already out the door.

She was running, trying to get to their spot as quickly as possible, when she realized how desperate she seemed and slowed down.

She could have made it in five minutes, but at her new pace, it took her twenty, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the familiar mop of white hair at the top of the hill.

"Toshiro!" Karin called.

He turned to face her, and Karin could see that he wasn't alone.

He had brought another girl to their spot.

"Kar…Kurosaki," he greeted her. The girl next to him eyed her curiously.

Karin suddenly found it hard to swallow.

She was no fool. She had known since she was twelve just how deep her feelings for Hitsugaya went. She also knew he would never return them.

The girl was very pretty. Her hair was pulled into a high bun, and she wore a pink dress that had a floral pattern and pink flats. She screamed feminine.

Karin looked down at her own attire. Ponytail, red soccer jersey, jeans with holes at the knees, scuffed up Converse. She screamed borderline hobo.

The girl batted her eyelashes. "Don't be rude, Shiro-chan," she said sweetly. "Introduce me."

"Don't call me that," he answered, annoyed. "Kurosaki, this is Hinamori Momo."

Karin was aware of his sudden decision to call her by her family name, but it was the girl's name that made her body tense up.

It was _her_.

Toshiro had told Karin about her years ago. He had sat in the office chair in her room, talking about the childhood friend that he had. About how Hinamori's previous captain betrayed and used her, the grief putting her into a coma. He vented about how he was constantly worried about her, and how he wasn't sure if she would ever wake up.

He said he loved her.

Well, to be clear, Hitsugaya never uttered the words. But from the way his eyes looked when he talked about Hinamori, Karin knew.

And now Hitsugaya had brought her, clearly no longer comatose, to _their_ place.

"Nice to meet you," Momo said, bowing slightly. "I'm Hinamori Momo."

Karin awkwardly bowed her head. "K-Kurosaki Karin."

Momo's eyes went wide. "Are you by any chance related to Kurosaki-san?"

She must have meant Ichigo. "He's my brother."

Momo smiled, and Karin seethed inside. _Damn her for being so pretty and nice!_

She was the complete opposite of Karin, and Karin knew that if Hinamori was what Hitsugaya liked, she herself had never stood a chance.

"You never told me you had friends in the human world, Shiro-chan," Momo said, giggling.

Hitsugaya had grown again, and was a few inches taller than both Karin and Momo. This, however, did not stop Momo from ruffling his hair. "Hitsugaya-taicho," he muttered irritably, removing her hand from his head, "and you never asked."

Momo looked sad for a moment. "I guess I missed a lot while I was…gone."

Hitsugaya's expression softened as he looked at Momo, and Karin's heart broke a little bit more. "It's not your fault."

Karin bit her lip. She was clearly the third wheel, and she didn't like it. "Look at the time," she piped up, not even bothering to look at a non-existent watch. "I have to leave."

Hitsugaya turned, all of his attention suddenly on Karin. "What? You just got here." He looked at her intently, his brows furrowed.

She could not stand him looking at her like that. Not now. His eyes were vibrant, the color of the ocean, and Karin felt like she was drowning.

"Well, I just wanted to say hi." She knew she looked funny, refusing to make eye contact with him, but she just couldn't. " So, um, hi." With that, she began to sprint home.

Hitsugaya was completely perplexed. "Karin!"

She stopped in her tracks, just a few feet away from before. She slowly turned her head, forcing a smile. "Yuzu's waiting for me," she said. "I'll see you at the wedding, okay?"

Then she ran, faster than she ever had in her life.

* * *

**A/N: Yikes, conflict! And, of course, Hinamori is the one causing it. Sigh.**

**Let me know what you thought! Review, Review, I'm dying here!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi again! Thanks for the reviews, guys, they really brightened my day. I was sitting there wondering whether anyone actually liked what I was writing, and the reviews I received convinced me that there were many! ^_^ Okay, I'm not sure if I said this outright, but script in italics means flashback mode. I don't know if that confused anyone, so I just wanted to clear that up.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, FTB would be subbed and on a DVD in my hot little hands right NOW. Is anyone else flipping out waiting?**

* * *

The moon peeked through the trees, barely lighting the cemetery.

_Karin knelt in front of her mother's grave, her breath forming puffs in the air. Clad only in her sushi-print pajamas, she was well aware of how cold it was, but she didn't care._

_She had had that nightmare again._

_The cold numbed her, numbed her body and mind to the point that she could think of nothing else. Exactly what she wanted. She didn't want to think anymore._

_She stared intently at the grave. "What do you want from me, Mama?"_

_She had half expected her mother to answer her, and she laughed humorlessly at the silence._

_She was starting to lose the feeling in her fingers and toes._

_"What are you doing?"_

_She whipped her head around. "T-Toshiro?"_

_He stood behind her in shinigami form, his eyes scanning the situation._

_"I didn't know you were stationed here," Karin said quietly, turning back to the grave._

_Hitsugaya didn't answer her, just unceremoniously dropped his captain's haori on her head. "Wear it," he said simply._

_Surprised, she removed the offending object. "Won't you be cold?"_

_He shook his head. "I don't get cold easily. Put it on. You're getting frostbite as it is."_

_She thought about fighting the matter, but, mentally tired, she slipped on the haori. It was warm, and it smelled like him._

_Hitsugaya knelt next to her, glancing at the grave._

_"I never really knew my mother," Karin said conversationally. "I was really young when she died. The only thing that I remember is that she had a kind smile."_

_Hitsugaya said nothing, so Karin took it as a sign to continue. "People say that you can't miss what you never had. That's bullshit. I miss her everyday. Look at what her death has done to us. Look at Ichi-nii! He still hasn't forgiven himself for something that wasn't his fault. And Yuzu, she cooks, cleans—she does everything she thinks will fill the void. Look at Dad! Sometimes, when he cries in front of the giant poster of her, I know he's not faking."_

_The "Look at me" hung in the air, unsaid._

_"I've been having this nightmare," Karin said, fingering the edges of his haori. "I come downstairs, and there's Mom, at the sink washing dishes, her back turned to me. When I call out to her, and she turns around, I see that her skin is coming off in patches, worms peeking through the holes. One of her eyeballs is out of the socket, hanging limply by her nose. She smiles, all of her teeth showing on one side because her cheek is no longer there, and she just says, 'Karin-chan.'"_

_Hitsugaya watched her intently. Her eyes were shut, and she shivered despite the weight of his haori._

_"I wonder if I disappoint her," Karin whispered. "Is that what she's trying to tell me? That I'm not smart enough, pretty enough, _good _enough to be her flesh and blood?"_

_Hitsugaya grabbed her by her shoulders, startling her enough to open her eyes. "I don't think so," he said softly. "I think she's proud of you."_

_She looked at him, her onyx eyes wide._

_"It's okay to be scared." His eyes were hypnotizing, demanding the attention of hers. "It's okay to be unsure."_

_He did not tell her that everything would be okay. He just sat there with her, keeping her company. Karin hiccuped uncontrollably, refusing to cry._

_It was then that she knew she loved him._

* * *

Hitsugaya Toshiro sat in Inoue Orihime's apartment, absentmindedly eating a bowl of ramen. He was alone. Inoue had taken Hinamori to go grocery shopping for the tofu squid casserole she was making for dinner, and Matsumoto had yet to return from her shopping spree.

"TAICHO!"

Scratch that.

Matsumoto bounded in, setting her million shopping bags on the floor. "I'm home, taicho!" she exclaimed, hugging him and promptly losing his head in her cleavage.

"I can see that," Hitsugaya gurbled out, pushing her off of him.

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. "So…" she chided, smirking. "How did it go with Karin-chan?"

He had never said that he was going to see Karin, and his eyebrows went up in surprise. Knowing that denying it was pointless, he answered curtly, "Fine."

Matsumoto squealed. "What happened, taicho? Was she happy to see you?"

He put his chopsticks down. "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

He looked up in thought. "She just wasn't herself. Even Hinamori thought she was behaving strangely."

Matsumoto's jaw dropped. "You brought _Momo-chan_, taicho?"

"I didn't _bring_ Hinamori," Hitsugaya said, feeling defensive and not knowing why. "She followed me."

Matsumoto sighed, shaking her head. Could her captain really be so dense? Wasn't he supposed to be a genius or something?

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. "What?"

She shook her head again, her eyes wide. "Nothing, taicho."

He picked up his chopsticks and continued his lunch.

_Good luck, Karin-chan_, Matusmoto thought. _You're going to need it with this one._

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Another chapter done. You know the drill-press that pretty button and tell me what you thought! ^_^**

**Next chapter: Ichiruki fanservice. I love them too, people, so it's time for the wedding!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait; I was visiting colleges. Once again, thank you for the marvelous reviews; I really appreciate it! Well, I don't have much else to say, except that this chapter is dedicated to all the rabid Ichiruki fans like myself.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Orihime would stop being so pathetic. Honestly, she is getting on my nerves lately!**

* * *

The wedding was beautiful.

Rukia looked stunning. She had opted for a western-style dress, strapless with a corset-type top and intricate lace detailing down the train. Her hair was done in a fancy updo, a shimmery veil covering her carefully made-up face.

Karin stood at the altar next to Orihime, Yuzu and Tatsuki. On her brother's side, Sado, Ishida, and Renji grinned.

Karin couldn't help but smile herself. She had never seen her brother look so happy. He could barely stand still as he watched Byakuya leading Rukia down the aisle towards him.

For her part, Rukia outwardly seemed as composed as the brother who accompanied her. Her eyes, however, held a certain brightness about them that made it hard for Karin to believe that the small woman _wasn't _every bit as elated as the carrot top waiting for her down the aisle.

After walking slowly enough for everyone to bask in her beauty, Rukia finally made it to the altar. Nevertheless, it soon became clear that she was having trouble detaching her arm from her brother's.

"Nii-sama," she whispered, half afraid her brother was going to retract his blessing and yank her away kicking and screaming.

For his part, Byakuya seemed to be considering exactly that. He looked at Ichigo, debating his options.

"Nii-sama," Rukia said again, her indigo eyes watching him worriedly.

Byakuya's eyes softened, and he kissed his sister on the forehead. Then, with a look at Ichigo that clearly said _I know where you live_, he gently placed her hand in Ichigo's.

The priest rambled on, and Karin grew restless. Her stupid dress was starting to itch, and she couldn't wait to get out of it.

Unconsciously, she gazed out into the crowd, and her heart jumped when she locked eyes with one Hitsugaya Toshiro.

She quickly glanced away, but sideways glances confirmed that Hitsugaya continued to watch her.

What was he doing? Momo was sitting right next to him, and he wasn't even bothering to pretend to pay attention to the ceremony!

Suddenly self-conscious, Karin pushed her hair behind her ears and glued her eyes to her brother.

"It's time for the vows," the priest finally announced. "Ichigo-san, go ahead."

Ichigo looked at Rukia nervously, scratching his head. "Rukia," he started.

Rukia waited, looking up expectantly at him.

"Ever since I met you, I've been drawn to you. I've been able to tell you things that I would never tell anyone else. You were my friend, my nakama, but I could always tell you were much more than that to me. When I knew they were going to execute you, I was ready to take down every single one of these monkeys." He pointed at the audience full of shinigami, and they laughed good-naturedly. "When you cried, I didn't know what to do with myself. I just wanted you to be happy." He swallowed. "When that bastard Aizen cut you, and I thought you were dead, I wanted to die too. It was then that I knew without a doubt. I love you, Rukia, with everything I have. As Shakespeare would say, 'I would not wish any companion in the world but you.' You're it for me. There is no one else."

The room was completely silent. Ichigo reddened, embarrassed.

Suddenly, Rukia leapt at him, her arms thrown around his neck and her legs circling his midsection. Surprised, Ichigo placed his arms around her waist, keeping her from falling.

Rukia kissed him forcefully, breathlessly saying "I do" in between each smooch.

Yuzu gasped and Karin's eyes widened comically. This definitely was _not_ in the rehearsal.

Matsumoto and Isshin hooted, and Yumichika wiped his eyes gracefully, basking in the "beauty" of it all. Kenpachi covered Yachiru's eyes, claiming "this ain't for kids," and poor Byakuya looked like he was going to have an aneurysm.

Rukia definitely wasn't displaying proper Kuchiki behavior.

"Ah, Rukia-san," the priest said, clearly shaken up, "we're not at that part yet."

"Well GET THERE!" she snarled, barely able to control herself.

Ichigo was still holding her up, and he had lipstick all over his face. "Wait, what about your vows, Rukia?"

She smiled, genuinely. "You want to hear mine?" Making her hand into a fist, she lightly brought it down on the top of Ichigo's head. "'Marry me, you baka.'"

He grinned, capturing her lips with his. "I do," he said softly.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest said hurriedly, completely ignored by the couple, who was making out in front of everyone. "You may…oh, never mind."

Everyone cheered. Yuzu began to cry, and Karin smiled triumphantly.

After all they had been through together, they deserved to be happy.

At least someone got their happy ending.

* * *

"I'd like to make a toast," Isshin announced at the reception. The room quieted and someone turned the music down.

"To Ichigo," he started, "my firstborn. My problem child, always stubborn. Why, you weren't even potty trained properly until you were five. Toilets scared you."

Ichigo blushed, and the guests laughed. "_Oyaji!_"

"And to Rukia-chan, my third-daughter. You look so beautiful today, Rukia-chan, and I want to thank you with all my heart for marrying my idiot son. I was beginning to think he was gay!"

Rukia snorted, trying not to laugh. Ichigo glared at her.

Isshin walked over to where the couple was sitting, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "I love you son," he said, suddenly serious. "Your mother would be so proud."

Rukia took Ichigo's hand and squeezed it, hoping to rid him of the melancholy she knew he was feeling.

Isshin kissed his son's forehead, then his new daughter's. "I wish you both a long and happy life together," he said, pride radiating from him. "Now, what are you still doing here? I want grandchildren! Get to it!"

The couple blushed, and the guests hooted. "Shut up, you old goat!" Ichigo hissed, half-heartedly swinging at his father and missing.

Karin rolled her eyes. _Like they need the encouragement. From the looks of the wedding, they'll multiply like rabbits._

The music started up again, and everyone watched as Byakuya and Rukia had their last (and most likely first) dance.

"Are you happy, Rukia?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yes, Nii-sama." Her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks were stained with a content glow.

He twirled her with the expertise of a ballroom dancer. "If that is the case, I wish you nothing but happiness."

Rukia grinned and hugged her brother, surprising them both. "Thank you, Nii-sama."

When the song was over, Ichigo came over and took her hand. Their first dance looked more like an embrace than a dance, and it was clear that that they saw no one else but each other.

* * *

**A/N: Come on, guys, you couldn't honestly think that Ichigo and Rukia would ever have a normal wedding! It's just not their style! What do you think? Cute, or a little overdone? Tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**An update, finally! Sorry for the wait! I can honestly say that I can't wait for school to be over. Seriously. Anyway, I'm happy that everyone seemed to like my Ichiruki wedding. Personally, I don't think it's possible for Ichigo and Rukia to have a wedding and have nothing weird and/or spontaneous happen.**

**Well, it's back to the focus of the story-Hitsukarin, people! Who's excited? I know I am!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Matsumoto and Gin would be able to be together. Their whole story saddens me. I just know that either he's going to die protecting her or she's going to be the one to kill him-and he'll let her. Sigh. What a tragedy.**

* * *

Karin sat at a table by herself. Yuzu had gone to dance with Jinta, and her father was animatedly talking to Ishida Ryuuken. It seemed she was the only wallflower at this wedding.

Sighing, she took another sip of punch.

"Is this seat taken?"

Surprised, she looked up at the questioner.

Hitsugaya.

She stared at him, taking in his gorgeousness. He was wearing a black suit, his tie matching his eyes. His snowy hair looked perfectly-messed-up, falling in all the right places.

It just wasn't fair.

He raised raised an eyebrow, and it was then that she realized that she had chosen to gawk at him instead of answer his question. "No, no," she said hurriedly.

He sat down, not taking his eyes off of her. It made her nervous.

"Some wedding, huh?" she said forcefully. "But what else would you expect with those two?"

"Yes, it was interesting," he said thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm glad it's over. I just can't wait to take this dress off. I feel like a fake! I never wear this type of stuff."

His hand brushed over the naked skin of her arm as he reached over, fingering her sleeve. She shivered at the contact. Either his skin was freezing or hers was burning up.

"I think you look beautiful," Hitsugaya responded, flushing slightly. He let go of her sleeve, averting his gaze.

"Thank you," she whispered.

They stayed like that for a couple minutes, silent and not looking at each other, until Hitsugaya blurted, "Do you want to dance?"

Karin was having difficulty breathing. Why is he doing this?

"What?"

"Do you want to dance?" He looked unsure. "With me?"

Why lead me on?

"I can't dance," Karin answered, embarrassed. She took a nervous sip from her punch.

He smirked, standing and holding his hand out for her to take. "It's a good thing I can then."

Doesn't he know what he does to me?

Reluctantly, she put her hand in his.

"Shiro-chan?"

Karin's heart stopped. It was Momo. She stood behind them, a pitiful expression on her face.

"Shiro-chan…I don't feel so well."

His eyes widened, anxious. "What? What's the matter?"

"I just…" Karin noticed when her eyes settled on their hands. "I…"

Just as Karin expected, Hitsugaya removed his hand from hers, already beginning to lead Momo somewhere. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere quiet." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Sorry, Kurosaki."

Walking away, Hinamori turned her head, locking eyes with Karin before turning back to Hitsugaya.

Well, wasn't that clichéd?

Once again alone, Karin fumed. If anything, she was angry at herself. She had known that Hitsugaya loved someone else, but she had allowed herself to cling to false hope—for six years!

Well, she was finished. She refused to be so pathetic.

"Karin-chan!"

Turning in her chair, Karin saw Matsumoto bounding over.

"I love weddings," Matsumoto sing-songed, drinking what had to be her fourth glass of champagne. "What about you, Karin-chan? Having fun?"

"Not particularly," Karin said under her breath. "Um, Rangiku, do you happen to have scissors?"

"Scissors?" Matsumoto looked perplexed, but reached deep into her ample cleavage, pulling out a small pair.

Karin raised an eyebrow, wondering if she should ask why she kept scissors there, of all places, but deciding against it. "Thanks," she said, taking them and standing up. "I have to go to the bathroom. Have fun, okay?"

She dashed for the bathroom, avoiding dancers as she went, and, finding it empty, stood in front of the mirror.

"No more," she said confidently. Then, she cut.

Her hair fell to the ground like a waterfall, littering the marble tiles. She handled the scissors awkwardly, obviously not used to cutting hair, but she continued, determined.

Finally, her job considered done, she gave herself a once-over.

As she had predicted, she had done a shitty job. She looked similar to her former self, her hair going no further than her chin, but some sections were shorter than others.

It didn't matter to her. She was herself again.

Looking at the mess she made, Karin sighed, trying her best to clean up. When she had gotten as much hair as she could off of the floor, she exited the bathroom, making a quick turn to exit the building as well.

"It was kind of stuffy in there," she murmured to herself. She set off down the block, hoping to clear her head. "Suck it up, girl. Suck it up."

* * *

"How do you feel, Hinamori?" Hitsugaya asked, handing her a glass of water.

They were sitting in an empty room, the music from the reception muffled. Hinamori stared at the carpet, taking a sip. "Better. Thank you, Shiro-chan."

"Hitsugaya-taicho," he replied automatically. Nevertheless, his tone softened. "You just woke up from the coma a couple months ago. You should take it easy."

"I know." She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'm fine now."

"Are you sure you don't want to go to Inoue's?"

She shook her head. "No, let's just stay here. It's kind of loud in there."

The worry in his eyes faded once he realized she would be okay, and he leaned back in his chair.

"I-I think I should tell you something, Shiro-chan," Hinamori started quietly. "I should have said it years ago."

He turned towards her, waiting.

"For a while I wasn't sure, but now I'm positive. Shiro-chan, I—"

"TAICHO!"

Startled, they both looked at the doorway where Matsumoto stood.

"What is it, Matsumoto?"

Her playful, teasing expression was gone. "It's…it's Karin-chan."

* * *

Karin fingered the chain protruding from her chest. "Well, shit."

Ichigo shook his head, and Rukia sighed.

"I'm really sorry you guys. I didn't mean to spoil your wedding." Her body lay sprawled on the pavement, her limbs twisted too awkwardly to be comfortable. Of course, none of that mattered now that she was dead.

"You get hit by a car, and you're apologizing?" Rukia said incredulously. "It's not your fault, Karin."

"It is the fault of the bastard that hit you," Ichigo seethed, his face contorted with rage. "Asshole didn't even stop."

Karin sighed. "Oh well. Just visit me after your honeymoon, okay? I'm going to feel kind of weird up there by my self."

Ichigo looked away. "You won't…remember us, Karin."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"He means…all souls lose their memories when they arrive in Soul Society," Rukia said quietly.

Karin blinked.

"The only thing you will remember is your name."

Time seemed to stop for her. After a long pause, she said, "It's okay. Visit me anyway. I mean it. I mean, how can I forget you guys?"

Ichigo had a pained expression on his face, clearly dreading what he had to do.

"It's okay, Ichi-nii," she lied. "Really! I was going to die sooner or later." Why not on the shittiest night of my life? "Just…tell Yuzu that I love her and not to worry, okay? And Dad too."

Ichigo nodded, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

Karin took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready. Let's get this show on the road."

Ichigo didn't move.

"Do you want me to do it?" Rukia asked him softly.

"No." His voice was hard. "I can do it."

He pulled out Zangetsu, placing the hilt in front of her forehead. "I…love you Karin."

"I love you too, Ichi-nii. See you both on the other side."

As the sword touched her forehead, Karin suddenly saw Hitsugaya gaping at her over her brother's shoulder.

The world went black.

* * *

**A/N: Mwahaha! Did that come out of left field or what? Maybe someone was expecting it. Oh well. I guess next chapter starts the Soul Society arc.**

**What did you think? Was anyone too OOC? Too cheesy? Just right? Let me know! ^_^**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again! Thanks for the reviews. I didn't think that my killing off Karin was that much of a surprise, but it apparently was! And some of you have some homicidal feelings for Momo--don't worry, I do too! Too pathetic in my opinion. Anyway, on with the story!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would tell the readers what happened to Ganju. Whatever happened to that guy, anyway?**

* * *

"_Aaarrrgghh!" She felt like pulling her hair out. "Who needs to know this shit?!"_

_"It's actually fairly simple, Karin." Hitsugaya sighed, using the pencil to point at the problem. "You just need to find the points that y = x and y = x² cross."_

_"That makes no sense! How can y equal x? They're two completely different letters."_

_He fought the urge to laugh at her. "They're variables, not letters."_

_She rambled on, not hearing him. "And how the hell am I supposed to know which train reached Tokyo first? I give up. Fuck this shit."_

_Hitsugaya had apparently developed immunity to her potty mouth, not batting an eye at the expletives she was spouting. "Since when do you give up?"_

_"Since I am apparently an idiot." Karin stood from her chair. "I'm hungry. Do you want anything?"_

_He shook his head, and she shrugged. "Suit yourself." _

_Exiting her room, she walked to the kitchen. _

_No one was home. Ichigo and Rukia had gone God knows where, Yuzu had run to the supermarket, and Isshin was weirdly absent. Sighing, she grabbed a bag of chips and headed back upstairs._

_Her room was empty._

No goodbye_, she thought with a huff. _That's just like him_. _

_Grumbling, Karin sat back down in her chair, dreading the homework she still had to finish. To her surprise, she found the homework completed in a perfect replica of her handwriting._

_She smiled. _

_She knew there was a reason she liked that kid._

* * *

Matsumoto understood her taicho completely.

She knew that he had always felt drawn to the Kurosaki girl. When asked, he would scoff or roll his eyes or yell at her to finish the paperwork, but there was always a light in his eyes whenever he was around Kurosaki Karin.

Matsumoto knew that her taicho used to sneak off to the real world, more times than she could count, just to visit the girl. His sudden growth spurt was proof of that—Soul Society was filled with reishi, and his numerous visits to the real world (that was not) caused him to age prematurely.

Although her taicho had never told her, Matsumoto knew because not only was she more perceptive than others gave her credit for, she frequently had to cover for him.

Ever since Karin died two years before, her taicho had not been the same. She knew that he felt guilty, even though it had nothing to do with him. He should have known. He should have been there. He could have prevented it.

She knew, even though he probably didn't, even though he probably would never see her again, even though he was "dating" Hinamori Momo—she knew that her taicho was in love with Karin.

It pained Matsumoto to pretend nothing was wrong. To remain oblivious, to act like the blond bimbo that everyone assumed she was.

She knew that her taicho would be ashamed if he knew that she _knew_.

So, a grin on her face and a bottle of sake in her hand, Matsumoto pretended that the tone of his voice had always been dull and the sadness in his eyes was just a flicker of the lights.

She pretends not to know.

* * *

"Man it's hot," Shin complained, his tongue hanging out of his mouth like a dog.

"Oh, suck it up," Karin snorted, looking at the three boys behind her. "You guys are pathetic. It's not even that bad."

"It is pretty hot, Kurosaki," Daisuke answered. He fanned himself with his hand, although in vain. It only stirred up the hot air.

Ryo said nothing, just followed.

Karin sighed, noting that the boys were drenched in sweat while she was only misted.

She had awoken in the 74th district of Rukongai two years ago, not knowing anything besides her name, confused and starving. The boys had found her, and Daisuke had shared his bread with her, even though it was obviously hard to come by.

"It's kind of hard out here," he had said, smiling. "We need to stick together."

Daisuke was the tallest, and his curly brown hair was always in his eyes. He helped Karin whenever she needed it and seemed to watch over her like an older brother.

Shin was as tall as Karin and fairly normal looking with black hair and black eyes. He was the one that Karin could count on to tell the truth without trying to sugarcoat anything. It was sometimes bad, because Shin didn't know how to filter through what should and shouldn't be said.

When Karin first met Ryo, she thought that he didn't like her. He never really looked directly at her, and whenever she tried to pick up conversation, he would reply with one-word answers or not at all. Over time, she realized that that was just how he was. He kept to himself.

They were her impromptu family. At the moment, however, they were getting on her nerves with their whining.

"I can't walk anymore," Shin complained, plopping himself in the shade of a tree. Daisuke seemed to consider his options, then sat down next to Shin and Ryo.

"It's not that bad!" Karin said, irritated. "Now move your lazy asses. How are we supposed to find food sitting under a tree?"

"She must be part camel or something," Shin muttered to himself. Karin glared at him, wondering if she should be offended or not.

"You know, the Hatari place caught fire last night," Daisuke said. "That makes the third house this week."

Apparent evidence of the heat wave that had taken over Rukongai. Everyone seemed to be feeling the effects of it except Karin. While the elderly and young children stayed inside, she barely felt the heat.

_Maybe I _am_ part camel_, she thought with a sigh. Whatever she was, she needed to find something to eat. She was always hungry.

Sighing again, she sat down in defeat. "Just for a little while," she ordered. "Then we have to get moving again."

* * *

Hitsugaya Toshiro sat back and rubbed his eyes. He had been working nonstop on paperwork for hours and his eyes were starting to sting. The tenth division office was becoming his prison.

"It's about time that you stopped, taicho," Matsumoto piped up from her desk. Hitsugaya grunted half-heartedly, and she frowned slightly before plastering a grin on her face. "All you ever do is paperwork. You really need to lighten up."

Matsumoto wasn't surprised when she didn't get a reply, and babbled on. "Remember that you have dinner with Momo-chan tonight. Go out and have fun! Don't worry, I'll finish the paperwork."

That got his attention. "_You'll_ finish the paperwork?" Hitsugaya asked incredulously.

She laughed, sincerely this time. "What are you implying, taicho? I didn't get my rank for nothing."

He didn't answer her this time, standing and handing her the remaining paperwork before leaving the office.

Matsumoto sighed. "He trusts _me_ to finish this? Since when?" This version of her taicho may have been new, but he definitely wasn't improved.

Ignoring the sadness she felt inside, Matsumoto got to work.

* * *

**A/N: Just a little set up. What did you think? Review, review!**


	8. Chapter 8

****

Okay, next chapter! Thanks for the reviews, guys. It feels good knowing that others enjoy my craziness! ^_^ Okay, without further ado, chapter 8!

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, characters wouldn't be losing appendages left and right.**

* * *

_Hitsugaya stepped through the gate, the hell butterfly disappearing. Limping slightly, he glanced at his surroundings. It seemed that all of Karakura was sleeping, as he was the only one outside._

_It didn't matter. He only wanted to see one person anyway._

_It was all finally over. After a year of fighting, Aizen was dead._

_Ichigo had dealt the final blow, and while all the shinigami sighed with relief, all Hitsugaya could think of doing was going to see _her_._

_The moonlight guided the way as he found the Kurosaki residence, jumping gracefully up to her window. It was open, and a look showed that both she and her twin were asleep in their beds._

_He landed quietly on the carpet, contemplating leaving. He had no idea why he was here in the first place. He had acted on impulse, and the digital clock on the nightstand showed that he had made his unwelcome appearance at three in the morning. If anything, Karin would be pissed at him for waking her up._

_Sighing, Hitsugaya settled for watching her for a while. She slept on her side, mouth open, emitting tiny snores. Her raven hair was splayed on her pillow, some of it covering her face._

_Once again acting on impulse, Hitsugaya reached out and pushed the hair away, placing it behind her ear._

_Karin stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, looking at him, but unfocused._

_Hitsugaya froze. _Maybe she won't see me_, he thought stupidly. _Maybe she's still asleep_. His hopes were squashed when Karin's eyes cleared and she bolted upright in bed. _

_She stared at him, onyx eyes meeting aquamarine._

_"…The war's over," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. He glanced away, slightly embarrassed._

_He was, therefore, completely surprised when she leapt off of her bed and clung to him. Hitsugaya unconsciously wrapped his arms around her._

_It wasn't until he realized that her fingers were running through his hair and that her hot breath touched his neck that Hitsugaya noticed their proximity. He felt his face heat up, and he was happy that it was too dark for anyone to see him blush. "W-what…I mean, uh…"_

_Karin had had this dream before, and she wanted to make sure that it wouldn't end up in disappointment. That the war really was over. That he was alive._

_"Thank god," she whispered in his ear, relief flooding her system. She hugged him tighter. "Thank god."_

* * *

"So then Renji had to go see Unohana-taicho _again_," Momo laughed, waving her hands in emphasis. "He really should pay attention to what he's doing. He might really get hurt."

Hitsugaya nodded, sipping his drink absently. He never really paid much attention to Hinamori's rantings.

Momo's smile wavered for a second, but she quickly plastered a new one on. "And poor Izuru-kun. He's been having trouble controlling his subordinates."

Hitsugaya chewed the end of his straw, looking out the window of the restaurant. "He should give them more paperwork. That'll straighten them out."

Momo grinned, happy he had decided to join her one-person conversation. "You think too much about paperwork, Shiro-chan. We're here to have fun, remember? No more talk about paperwork."

He nodded slightly, his eyes still turned in the direction of the window. Away from her.

She sighed, wondering why he was always so distant. He had been this way, ever since they had started dating.

Well, Hinamori liked to call it dating, but all they ever did was spend time together. He hadn't even kissed her yet. The furthest their relationship had gone was holding hands, and that was only sometimes, and when she initiated it.

Hinamori watched him as he stared at nothing.

* * *

Karin knew she was dreaming. She had dreamed this place before, this place that was filled with nothing but fire.

She was trapped in an inferno, orange and yellow and red all that could be seen, but, like always, the flames never seemed to burn her. Strangely familiar with the place, Karin set about, searching, but not sure what she was looking for.

Suddenly, a pair of beady blue eyes appeared in the fire above her head. Karin looked up to get a better look. While she had had this dream before, this was the first time something other than fire appeared.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice seemingly swallowed by the cackling of the flames.

"You know who I am, Karin," a melodic voice answered her.

Karin sighed. Great. She was talking to fire that had eyes and that was apparently a smartass. "How do you know me?"

"I know you better than anyone," the voice sang back. It giggled, the blue eyes closing contentedly. "Well, except for one person, maybe."

"Would you stop talking in riddles?" Karin was getting annoyed. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

A thread of fire snaked out, making her step back slightly as it reached for her face. Karin flinched, waiting to be burned, but no pain came. Instead, she gasped as her senses were overridden.

She wasn't sure where she was supposed to be now. She glanced at her surroundings, noting the railing she was leaning on and the reddish orange color of the sky she was apparently gazing at. So caught up in wondering whether it was possible to dream _inside_ of a dream, she nearly jumped out of her skin when something moved beside her.

It was a boy, Karin noted with relief. He also leaned on the railing, staring at the sky. His hair was stark white, like an old person's, messy-looking in a good way, and he stood a couple inches taller than her.

"Um," Karin said intelligently.

At this, he turned to face her, and Karin was met with the most beautiful teal eyes that she had ever seen. They softened at the sight of her, and he smiled, making her feel like time had stopped.

"Karin," he said, her breath hitching in her throat in response. Then the scene began to change again. Everything began to get dark, as if ink was spilled on her surroundings.

"Karin." The mystery boy was still calling her. He seemed so far away even though he was right next to her.

Karin began to panic, reaching for him frantically as the darkness set in over him, swallowing him piece by piece. He held his hand out to her, smiling, but he continued to disappear.

"No!" she shouted at him, only parts of his face visible now.

"Karin."

"Don't leave me!" She her chest clenched up painfully and she fought the overwhelming urge to cry.

"Karin." She could barely hear him now. His face was gone, his outstretched hand the only thing remaining. She continued to struggle, trying to take it, but his hand soon disappeared as well, leaving her all alone in nothingness.

"KARIN!"

Her eyes popped open and she bolted up from her futon.

"Wha? Wha?" Her eyes darted around frantically.

"It's okay." It was Daisuke. He sat next to her futon, a worried look on his face. "I think you were having a bad dream."

"Dream," Karin replied dazedly, pushing her hair off of her face. A quick glance around the raggedy hut that they had borrowed for the night showed that Shin and Ryo were still asleep.

"Yeah. It's no surprise, with this heat and all." Sweat had plastered his hair to his forehead, and his face was flushed. "I swear it got hotter since this morning. You'd think it would be cooler once the sun set."

Karin nodded mutely, the effects of the dream wearing off slowly.

* * *

He had felt it again.

Hitsugaya stared at the ceiling of his quarters, his senses working overtime and his fists clenched under the bedsheets.

As quickly as it had come, it went away.

He had felt her reiatsu again.

The first time he had felt it, he was working late at the office and had nearly dropped the paperwork he was holding. It was gone a second later, leaving him frustrated that he had no idea where to start looking.

It was always like that, too sudden and fleeting to figure out where it was coming from. Many times he had run into Rukongai, searching blindly, but he had always come up empty-handed and feeling like a total moron. Obviously, Karin's reiatsu was in his head. No one else ever felt it, not even Rukia, who was constantly searching in order to give her husband some piece of mind.

Hitsugaya would sense her at night, when he was feeling especially pitiful. He figured he really was as broken as he felt, that his mind was trying to fix itself.

It was pathetic, really. No matter how many times it happened, not matter how many times his hopes were dashed, he _still_ hoped.

He closed his eyes, trying to will away the insanity.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, what do you think? A little more set up, but I think I have a couple more chapters before Hitsugaya and Karin meet. Sorry if I'm dragging it out! ^_^ Review, review!**


	9. Chapter 9

****

Okay, new chapter! Once again, thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it. Hmmm...I don't have much to say this chapter, so on with the story.

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, we would know what happened to Grimmjow. Anybody know? They just kind of left him wounded in the middle of Hueco Mundo...**

* * *

_"Ichi-nii is home." Karin glanced awkwardly at the wall the joined her room to Ichigo's._

_Hitsugaya's eyes joined hers, as if looking at the wall would make him able to see through it. "It doesn't matter. Your idiot brother has never been good at sensing reiatsu."_

_She looked at him, amused, and smirked. "True."_

_Not that they were trying to hide the fact that he visited her. Ichigo was just extremely overprotective, and would definitely take things the wrong way._

_Hitsugaya eyed her. Her chin-length hair was pulled into a small ponytail and she was wearing a bright blue jersey, the number 57 blazing across her chest in white. "What's with the shirt?" he asked nonchalantly._

_Karin's eyes lit up. "I made the soccer team," she said proudly._

_He sat down in her office chair. "I thought that your high school didn't have a girl's soccer team."_

_"It doesn't." She grinned mischievously. "And because the school was afraid I would sue them because of discrimination, they had to let me try out for the boy's team."_

_He scowled, and his eyes hardened when he saw how bruised she was. Her arms displayed a splotchy pattern of purple and green and her knees were all scuffed, as if she constantly fell._

_"So you're saying," Hitsugaya said flatly, his eyes glued to her knees, "that you're playing on a boy's team. Against boys."_

_"Yup." She grinned again. "What's the matter? Jealous?"_

_His eyes shot up to meet hers, and his scowl deepened. He kept his mouth closed, sure that if he opened it he would yell that he was not jealous, he was just worried that she could get hurt more easily playing against aggressive boys._

_Karin laughed, playfully ruffling his hair. "I was just kidding, Toshiro, you don't have to look so grim." _

_He pushed her hand away, and she laughed again. Her smile faltered, however, as it was replaced by a more thoughtful expression._

_"What is it now?" Hitsugaya demanded, sure he was going to get made fun of._

_She seemed still lost in thought as she answered. "Do you ever smile, Toshiro?"_

_"What?"_

_"You know, use the muscles in your face in a positive manner. Stretch your mouth upwards."_

_"I know what smiling is," he snapped irritably. _

_"Yes, but do you ever do it?" Karin asked thoughtfully. She reached over, pushing Hitsugaya's cheeks up until his mouth reached her desired level of happiness. _

_"Stop that!" He slapped her hands away from him._

_Karin grinned again. "Well, it's decided. I'm going to make you smile, Hitsugaya Toshiro, if it's the last thing I do."_

_Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "Good luck with that."_

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Shin panted, dripping sweat even though the group was already sitting in the shade of a tree and he was only in his pants. "I think it's hotter than yesterday."

The temperature in Rukongai had been insanely hot for the last couple of weeks. Every day was hotter than the last, and houses kept catching fire.

Karin opened her eyes, peering at the boys through her lashes from her spot on the ground. They looked like they were dying, but she was only slightly bothered by the heat, lounging comfortably on her back.

"I hate you, Kurosaki!" Shin groaned. "I can't believe the heat doesn't bother you at all!"

Daisuke met her eyes, but said nothing. He knew, as well as she, that that wasn't true.

The dream used to come occasionally, but now it came every night. Every night she was surrounded by flames, being peered at by beady blue night she was abandoned by a beautiful snowy-haired boy.

She would wake up, disoriented and on the verge of tears, with Daisuke sitting next to her and reminding her that it was just a dream.

The dream made her vulnerable. If there was one thing that Kurosaki Karin hated it was feeling vulnerable. Vulnerability was weakness, and Karin sure as hell wasn't weak.

After conveying this to Daisuke with a look, she ripped her eyes off of him.

"Let's go swim in the river or something," Daisuke said suddenly, interjecting Shin's tirade. Ryo grunted, standing to his feet, and Shin jumped up eagerly. Once they were gone, Daisuke refocused his eyes on her.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked her. "You've been having a lot of nightmares lately."

"Fine," she answered curtly, her eyes closed.

It was silent. Then Karin heard scuffling as Daisuke stood up. "Well, I'm here if you ever want to talk about it." His footsteps grew faint as he walked away.

Karin sighed to herself. Daisuke had always been really nice to her, and she regretted acting like an ass. It was just—she was embarrassed! A mere dream left the mighty Kurosaki Karin whimpering like a child.

She just couldn't take it! She refused to be some stereotype, relying on a guy to protect her.

She opened her eyes, watching the clouds waft lazily by.

* * *

"I've really been swamped with work lately," Hinamori sighed. "The paperwork is starting to back up. I know I said I could handle it, but it's kind of hard being a taicho and fukutaicho at the same time."

Hitsugaya said nothing. While she was in a coma, he had done the paperwork for both the Tenth and Fifth Divisions, so he wasn't sure how she had gotten behind. Sure, it was hard to do a captain's work without a lieutenant, but he did that practically everyday, seeing as Matsumoto was ridiculously lazy.

Lately, though, she seemed to be doing her job.

"I wish Kurosaki-san would hurry up and come," Hinamori continued, oblivious to the fact that Hitsugaya visibly flinched at the name. "But he said that he wouldn't take up the position until he was sure his sister was taken care of. How long do you think that will be?"

They were walking to their quarters from the restaurant that they had dined at, and Hitsugaya, extremely uncomfortable, picked up his speed. Momo matched it easily, and he murmured an _I don't know_ before effectively changing the subject.

He was tuning out Momo's bantering when he felt it again, the intensity of it almost making him trip.

It was her.

Definitely her.

The reiatsu was overwhelming, familiar. Waves of it seemed to radiate off of Rukongai, and he involuntarily stopped walking and turned towards it.

Hinamori continued to blab, only stopping when she realized that Hitsugaya wasn't walking anymore. She stopped and stared in the same general direction as he. "What?"

He didn't reply, waiting for the reiatsu to fade, disappear like it always did, but it didn't, practically slapping him in the face.

Momo cocked her head. "_What?_" she repeated.

He whirled to face her then, and, at the strange look in his eye, Hinamori almost took a step back.

"I have to go."

And before she could blink, he had shunpoed away.

* * *

**A/N: Whoa man! The long awaited reunion is finally near! Let me know what you thought. Review review!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait, had to gather my thoughts! ^_^ During my thought-gathering process, I began writing little Shikatema oneshots. So, if any of you are interested, the collection is called _Troublesome Crybabies_. Just had to put that out there!**

**Um, the story is finally underway! Finally, The reunion! Here you go!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, there would be more Byakuya/Yachiru scenes. I know that it's an odd pairing, but I think that they could be cute together! It's not like she won't get older. (My friends think I'm insane, but I don't really care. ^_^)**

* * *

Finding where the reiatsu was coming from wasn't hard. It became a beacon, guiding him to a dilapidated shack in the 74th district of Rukongai.

Hitsugaya's first reaction was surprise. He himself had grown up in the 1st district, and although it wasn't exactly a cakewalk, he, Hinamori, and his granny had lived in a modest house and always had enough to eat. He couldn't say the same for the people here.

His second reaction was panic.

The shack was on fire. Orange flames licked at the sides, black smoke curling towards the sky.

He felt his eyes widen. For a second he froze, his mind blank. Then he sprang into action.

Hitsugaya rushed into the small shack, intent on getting Karin out. The air around him was hot and the smoke was making his vision blurry, but he made out a group of people in the corner of the room.

"Wake up Kurosaki!"

"We have to get out of here!"

"Why isn't she getting up?"

Hitsugaya felt his eyes widen and he rushed to the group. A boy with curly brown hair was trying to shake Karin awake, but he looked up in alarm when Hitsugaya was suddenly at his side.

"Who—"

"It doesn't matter," Hitsugaya snapped. To the boy's dismay, he scooped Karin into his arms. "We need to get out of here."

By now the air was difficult to breathe, and the boys put up no fight, following Hitsugaya out the door and a safe distance away. Hyourinmaru had made quick work of the fire, the hut now in ashes.

The curly-haired boy was the first to speak. "You're a shinigami," he said in awe, eyeing Hitsugaya's robes.

The boy with black hair whistled low. "A taicho at that. What the hell are you doing all the way down here?"

Hitsugaya didn't answer, but involuntarily looked down at the girl in his arms. It was the first time he had seen her since she died.

She looked the same as he remembered. Dirtier, but the same. Her hair was roughly chopped off, mimicking the style she had had when he first met her, and she had the same boyish, yet still slightly feminine face. Her body, however, was more adult than when he had first seen her. He vividly remembered the time he came to visit only to find Karin with breasts, albeit modest ones, and hips. She had tried so hard to hide them, covering herself in boyish layers, and so Hitsugaya had pretended that he hadn't noticed and that he wasn't staring at her out of the corners of his eyes.

Hitsugaya was transfixed. He could hardly believe he held the girl he had looked for countless times.

The boys looked at each other nervously, wondering why a shinigami taicho was looking at Kurosaki that way. The curly-haired one spoke again. "Thank you for helping us. I'm Sasaki Daisuke, and this is Tanaka Shin and Suzuki Ryo. That's Kurosaki Karin."

"Why is he still holding her?" the one called Shin muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Hitsugaya blinked. Then, coming to his senses, felt his cheeks heat up. He looked down at her again.

This time, to his surprise, a pair of onyx eyes gazed back at him. They widened in recognition, but quickly narrowed.

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Karin screeched, punching him straight in the eye.

If he wasn't sure whether it was truly her before, now there was no doubt.

* * *

Like every night, Karin found herself in the world of fire. She was getting incredibly used to being there, not even surprised every time she ended up there. If anything, she was getting annoyed at the vague answers the eyes in the ceiling always gave her.

"What do you look like, anyway?" Karin asked her. For some reason, she was convinced that the owner of the eyes was a "her."

"You know what I look like," SHE sang back, clearly amused.

"Um, no I don't, smartass. Otherwise I wouldn't be asking." Irritably, she ran a hand through her hair. SHE giggled.

"You somehow know everything about me, but I know nothing about you. Not even your name."

"I've been telling you," SHE replied. "You just haven't been listening."

"What kind of bullshit answer is that?" Karin shouted. "You've never said anything that remotely made sense!"

"You just haven't been listening," SHE repeated, a smile in her voice. "Listen Karin."

Karin sighed. Every frickin' night. "Okay, I'm all ears. I'm listening, see? What's your name?"

"Tslzskdhof," SHE replied.

Karin looked up blankly. "Um, could you repeat that? Maybe in Japanese?"

SHE sighed. "See? Still not listening."

Karin fumed, debating whether it was possible to murder a being made of fire. "This is getting old. Where's that white-haired boy?"

If SHE had eyebrows, Karin was sure SHE would have raised them.

Karin sighed. "You always show him to me right before I wake up. I'm sick of this conversation. Where is he?"

SHE giggled again. "He's with _you_, of course."

Karin balked. "What?"

Suddenly, the world of fire began to get less and less in focus, and Karin realized that she was returning to consciousness. SHE's voice echoed, starting to drift away.

_"He's with _you_, of course."_

Karin opened her eyes, her heart skipping a beat. To her surprise, the face of the boy of her dreams was about a foot away from hers. His snowy hair swayed gently in the wind and he was looking at something in front of him. She felt his arms supporting her weight, holding her securely to him.

Karin heard Shin mutter something, causing the boy to blush, and then the boy's aquamarine eyes were suddenly locked with hers.

She felt her mouth drop open slightly, the right words failing her in her moment of panic. What forced its way out instead was a not too friendly "get your fucking hands off of me".

She was distressed. Therefore, it didn't surprise her when she reacted the way she always did when she was distressed—by promptly trying to knock the boy's lights out.

He stumbled back, caught off guard, but did not drop her. "Calm down, Karin."

She sucked in her breath, eyes wide. "How do you know my name?"

He was silent, but complied with her wishes, setting her feet on the ground. Karin backed away from him, closer to where Ryo stood.

"I told him," Daisuke answered her, his eyes never leaving their mysterious savior.

"Awfully friendly though, isn't he?" Shin mused. "_Karin_, he said."

Karin glanced at her friends. "What's going on?"

"Well," Daisuke said, finally taking his eyes off of the guy. "Our hut caught on fire. We tried to wake you, but you wouldn't get up."

"Sleeps like the dead," Shin muttered.

"Then…" All eyes returned to the shinigami. "He just appeared out of nowhere and carried you out."

Karin eyed the guy up and down. "What's your name?" she asked, an edge to her voice.

His aquamarine eyes met hers again, and Karin's stomach did a somersault. "Hitsugaya Toshiro," he answered after a pause.

"Well, thank you, Toshiro. I'm sorry about hitting you. You just surprised me."

Hitsugaya nodded slightly, continuing to gaze at her.

Karin shifted uncomfortably. "Is there something on my face?"

Hitsugaya looked down then. "No. Never mind."

Shin stepped forward, arms crossed. "You never answered my question, Hitsugaya-taicho. What are you doing all the way down here?"

Karin started at that. Indeed, the boy _was_ a shinigami taicho. She hadn't even noticed, too transfixed by his strangely familiar eyes.

Hitsugaya seemed to contemplate his words. "I am here to escort Kurosaki Karin to Seiretei."

"You're here for _what_?" Karin near-shouted. "I'm sorry, _what_?"

"You are to come with me," he repeated.

"_Excuse_ me?" There was something about him. Something that drew her to him. At the same time, her brain screamed for her to stay away.

He left her flabbergasted.

He scared her.

"I don't care if you are some hotshot taicho," Karin fumed. "Who says I have to listen to you?! I am perfectly happy where I am, thank you very much!"

Although his face was blank as slate before, Hitsugaya was now clearly irritated. "You have family," he ground out.

"_This_ is my family!" she spat, gesturing behind her at the boys.

"You have to come with me!"

"Like hell I do!"

"Who do you think did this?" Hitsugaya asked quietly.

Karin started at his tone, but refused to be intimidated. "What are you talking about?"

"Did you think it normal to have things spontaneously catch fire? For the sun to be so hot for so long?"

Karin's eyes widened. "What are you insinuating?"

"You have to learn to control your reiatsu, Karin." His tone was softer now, understanding. "You need to come with me."

"You think _I_ caused this?" Karin exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding. "You are out of your mind, bud."

"Get real, Kurosaki." He took a step towards her, and Karin glared at him, not backing down. "The temperature's so hot that it's killing crops and keeping people inside. Let me guess. It's never bothered you?"

Karin said nothing.

"I always thought that was inhuman," Shin commented.

"Shin," Daisuke warned.

"And the dreams." Hitsugaya continued coming towards her, slowly. Daisuke gasped softly, and Karin's eyes widened. "You've had them, haven't you? About something that knows everything about you. Things that you don't even know about yourself."

Images of her and Hitsugaya watching the sunset assaulted her.

"You're going to be strong, I can tell. You just lack control. Come with me, Kurosaki. I can help you." If Karin didn't know better, she could swear she heard a slight desperation in his voice.

She let out a breath slowly. "What about my friends?"

Hitsugaya's gaze shifted from her to the boys behind her. He didn't answer.

"You can't expect me to leave them!" Karin said frantically. "I told you! They're my family—"

A hand on her shoulder silenced her. Surprised, Karin looked up to see Ryo. He nodded at her once.

"It's fine, Kurosaki," Daisuke said. "You obviously need to go."

"Yeah," Shin added, grinning. "It'll be cooler once you leave. Now maybe I can enjoy being outside."

Karin had to grin back. Trust Shin to be straightforward. She knew that he didn't mean it in a nasty way, though.

She sucked in a deep breath, halting any wayward tears before they even began. Kurosaki Karin did not cry. Then she took one last look at the boys who were her friends, her family. "Okay, shortstuff," she said to Hitsugaya.

His eyes widened, looking as surprised as she felt. She had no idea why she called him that; it wasn't like he was short, he had at least three inches on her. It had just kind of slipped out.

"I'm ready."

* * *

**A/N: What do you think? I hope I didn't make anyone OOC. Oh well. Let me know! Review Review!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, my computer had a virus and I didn't have internet for the longest time!And then I had a brain fart! I have now discovered how dependent on the internet I am...oh well. Anyway, once again, thank you for the marvelous reviews, I honestly appreciate it! Well, enough blabbering, on with the story!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, we would know what Yoruichi's zanpakuto looked like. And, while I'm at it, her bankai. And Urahara's! ^_^**

* * *

Karin held on to Hitsugaya for dear life.

The world rushed around her, images blurred.

She wondered what she had agreed to.

"Close your eyes," he whispered, his mouth close to her ear.

He had told her that it would be much faster if he carried her, and had promptly scooped her up, much to her dismay. Before she could even protest, he had taken off running at an unhuman speed. Shunpo, he had called it.

She shivered slightly, complying. It was much easier to enjoy Hitsugaya's proximity when she wasn't nauseous.

It bothered her that she felt so close to someone who she had never met, but she felt like she _knew_ him.

With her eyes closed, the ride wasn't nearly as nauseating, and Hitsugaya soon set her feet on the ground. "We're here."

Her eyes popped open. Hitsugaya must have passed through the gates of Seireitei when she wasn't aware, because she was no longer in Rukongai. Karin had never been out of Runkongai before, and was inwardly impressed. The streets were clean and had no beggars lining them. The buildings looked sturdy, also clean.

She felt out of place. Everything was clean and expensive looking, and Karin knew that she herself looked like the hood rat that she was.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Karin turned to Hitsugaya. "Where are we going?"

He looked sheepish, as sheepish as his cold demeanor would allow him to look. "I'm not sure."

"You force me to leave with you in the middle of the night," she said, bristling, "and you don't even know where we're going?!"

He began walking, forcing her to follow him. "I didn't think about it at the time," he said heatedly.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she muttered.

He ignored her, thinking out loud. "Kurosaki-fukutaicho and Matsumoto are both in the real world."

Karin's ears perked up at the sound of her own surname. "Kurosaki-fukutaicho?" she repeated.

He turned his gaze onto her. "Kurosaki Rukia. Your sister-in-law."

Karin sucked in a breath. So he hadn't been lying when he said she had family.

"She would be more than happy to see you, but she went to visit your brother. Matsumoto, my fukutaicho, would also let you stay with her, but she's on a mission." He shifted his gaze again, looking straight ahead. "I guess you'll have to stay with me."

Karin raised an eyebrow, and his cheeks reddened slightly. "I am a captain," he added hastily. "Captain's barracks are nicer than everyone else's. I have a spare bedroom. You can stay there."

_How cute, he's embarrassed._ "I don't know," she said teasingly. "You might take advantage of me."

His head whipped towards her and she laughed. "Chill out, Toshiro. I was kidding. I did live with boys, you know."

He scowled and she laughed again, reaching over and mussing up his hair. Annoyed, he grabbed the hand out of his hair, fighting her as she tried to put it back in.

"What's the matter, Shiro-chan?"  
"Don't call me that."

"Jeez, someone's moody."

"…"

Karin sighed, deciding to let the matter drop. She had just met this guy, but she found herself acting insanely familiar with him. Not that Hitsugaya seemed to mind.

The whole situation was starting to weird her out.

* * *

_"You're the one who suggested we get this ice cream," Hitsugaya said, handing the cashier some bills. "Why am I the one who has to pay?"_

_"Because," Karin answered, licking her cone in a very unladylike manner. "You're the one who has money."_

_He grumbled in response, taking his cone as well. When Karin exited the ice cream shop and plopped down on a nearby bench, he followed suit._

_He watched her as she animatedly continued eating her ice cream. Her hair, pulled into a ponytail, was still wet from her after-practice shower, and she had changed into a t-shirt and running shorts. Said shorts lived up to their name spectacularly, showing quite a bit of her legs and causing Hitsugaya to flush slightly._

_"What?" Karin asked mid-lick, noticing him looking at her. When Hitsugaya shook his head, she shrugged, reemerging herself in double-fudge brownie heaven._

_"How are things in Soul Society?" she mumbled to him._

_"Same as always. What about school?"_

_"Same as always." Karin sighed. "A nightmare. Not all of us are child prodigies, you know."_

_They sat in comfortable silence after that, leaving to mindlessly walk around town once their ice cream was finished. At one point, a photo booth peaked Karin's interest, and she grinned._

_"Let's take a picture," she said excitedly._

_"What?"_

_Karin ignored him, reaching in her pockets for change. "Look, I'm treating you," she said, pushing him into the little booth and inserting coins into the slot. "See how nice of a person I am?"_

_Hitsugaya gave little resistance when she pressed him down into the seat, confused and slightly unnerved by their sudden proximity. "What are we doing?"_

_"Just smile when I tell you, shortstuff." He glared at her, and she grinned back, but both were blinded by the sudden flash._

_"It's starting quicker than I thought," Karin said aloud. "Oh, well. Look here—" And as she pointed, the camera flashed again._

_"What is going on?" Hitsugaya asked, annoyed._

_Karin sighed, frustrated, and much to Hitsugaya's chagrin, tossed her arm limply over his neck, holding the peace sign out with her other hand._

_Hitsugaya looked up at her, incredulous. Her face touched his, her lips dangerously close to his forehead._

_"Don't just sit there," she scoffed. "Look there and pose."_

_He focused his eyes at the camera and copied her peace sign._

_FLASH._

_"One more," Karin said, retracting her arm from Hitsugaya's cool skin. She looked into the camera, grinning. FLASH. "Okay that's it."_

_Hitsugaya said nothing as they exited the booth. The pictures fell, and Karin handed one of the copies to him. _

"_Now you can look at my gorgeous mug whenever you want," she said smugly, grinning. "Don't say I never got you anything."_

**A/N: Okay, what do you think? Review review! I hope I'm going in a good direction with this...**

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, they were really encouraging! Okay, we have finally made it to the beginning of the Soul Society arc. Well, I guess that arc technically started a few chapters ago, but they are finally together, people! Anyway, I would like to say right now that I struggled with Soul Society. I wasn't sure how modern it would be and what items could be there and what could not. I think I drove my friend insane with the questions-- "Is there plastic wrap in Soul Society? Showers?"--but I have finally decided that I am going to make my own version. It will be older, but if something modern slips in you'll have to go along with it. Go with the flow!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, the chapters would come out three at a time. Is it getting good or what?**

* * *

Karin stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping a towel around herself. Although she was never exactly dirty in Rukongai, she was never exactly clean either, and a long bath did her good. She felt fresh, renewed.

After raking her fingers though her wet hair, she put on the spare haori that Hitsugaya had given her. It was only slightly long on her, and she folded the sleeves slightly to make herself more comfortable.

Hitsugaya's place was a nice size, with enough room for the necessities. It had two decent-sized bedrooms, a kitchen that was large enough to fit a small island and stools, a study, and an entry room. He himself had been strangely silent on the way over to his quarters. Other than handing her the haori and hakama pair and showing her where the bathroom was, he didn't say much.

Sighing, Karin stepped out of the bathroom, steam following her into the hallway. Something heavenly wafted to her nose, and she followed it to the kitchen. Hitsugaya was spooning something onto a plate, and looked up when she entered.

"I bought some food," he said, avoiding her eyes. "I thought you would be hungry."

"You thought right!" Karin replied happily, sitting down on one of the stools. He handed her a bowl of miso soup and began plating some soba noodles.

"Itadakimasu!"

Karin never thought that food could taste so good. She slurped the soup down hungrily, wasting no time to start on the noodles as well. It was only when she noticed that Hitsugaya was studying her that she suddenly became self-conscious. "Aren't you going to eat anything, Toshiro?" she mumbled around her food.

Hitsugaya smirked slightly. "I already ate. You have a high amount of reiatsu, and therefore need a lot of energy. Eat up, Karin."

She chewed slowly, watching him watch her. Those eyes—the ones that haunted her at night. "Have we met before?" Karin asked distractedly.

Said eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Why would you ask that?"

She decided to keep her dreams to herself, going down another path instead. "I think you know me," she replied, taking another spoonful of soup.

Hitsugaya lifted an eyebrow, his face impassive. "And why do you think that?"

"You call me Karin, for one. No one calls me that except for…" She trailed off, the thoughts suddenly gone from her brain and the words falling flat on her tongue. She was confused for a second, but shook it off.

"Not only that," she continued determinedly, "but you came in the middle of the night from Seireitei to Rukongai looking for me. And, out of the gazillions of people in Rukongai, you managed to pinpoint me. Seems pretty suspicious to me."

Hitsugaya closed his eyes. "Kurosaki—"

"Oh no," Karin interrupted, "don't give me that 'Kurosaki' shit now. I'm on to you, Toshiro."

Hitsugaya smirked, amused. "How come you can call me Toshiro, but if I call you Karin I get the third-degree?"

"Because you already tried covering it up by calling me Kurosaki!" Karin had long since finished eating, and she was determined to drag something out of him.

She knew him, she was sure of it, and so she was positive he knew her too.

Hitsugaya looked pointedly at her empty plates. "Are you finished?"

"Don't try and distract me, Toshiro."

"I'm not, Kurosaki-san."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not, Kurosaki-san."

"Stop it!" Karin shuddered. "Kurosaki-san is my father."

Hitsugaya's playful smirk dropped, and Karin watched him incredulously. "What?" she asked.

Hitsugaya placed her dishes in the sink, throwing away the empty food cartons.

"What?"

He was avoiding her eyes again. "Nothing. I just realized how late it was. Go to bed. We'll sort this all out in the morning."

Then, much to Karin's dismay, he left her sitting there.

* * *

When Karin woke up the next morning, she was confused. She was in a strange room lying on a strange futon wearing unfamiliar clothes, and Daisuke, Shin, and Ryo were nowhere to be found.

She sat up slowly, analyzing the room. It was decently sized, as big as her whole hut, and sunlight poured through a small window. There was a closet and the futon that she sat on, but other than that the room was pretty bare-bones.

It was then that she remembered where she was—the captain's quarters of the Tenth Division.

Yawning, Karin rose from her futon and stepped into the hallway. A quick scan of the apartment showed that Hitsugaya wasn't home, and starved, she moved to the kitchen, intent on trying to find leftovers. She was thoroughly surprised, then, when she saw the omelette waiting for her on the counter, a note beside it.

_Went to the office. Stay here._

"Could he have put it more bluntly?" Karin muttered to herself, shaking her head and removing the plastic wrap from the plate.

It didn't really bother her, though, because she knew that that was just how Hitsugaya was.

Karin found some chopsticks and dug in, praising Kami-sama that the boy could cook. All she ever ate in Rukongai was rice, bread, and if she was lucky, fish. The omelette was blowing her mind.

A knock at the door brought Karin down from her omelette-induced heaven. Placing her plate on the counter, she made her way to the door, having no second thoughts about opening someone else's door.

"Good morning, Shiro-chan. I brought you some—"

The girl on the other side stopped abruptly, her eyes widening comically at the sight of Karin.

"He went to the office already," Karin told her, scratching her head. She wondered briefly if the girl worked with Hitsugaya, as she had a fukutaicho band around her arm.

The girl's mouth formed inaudible words. Then, seemingly finding her voice, she squeaked, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." _Honestly, the way she's looking at me, you would think she saw a ghost or something._

The girl bowed slightly, then quickly walked away. Karin shut the door, heading back to her omelette. She was pretty, she thought to herself.

She chewed slowly, wondering what relationship the bunned girl had with Hitsugaya. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

She had answered Hitsugaya's door early in the morning, wearing his clothes and her hair disheveled. Well, it was bedhead, but from the bun-haired girl's perspective, she clearly looked disheveled. No wonder she had given her that look!

Karin put her chopsticks down. She was surprised she hadn't thought of these things before she took the time to open the door. What surprised her more, however, was that she found she didn't give a shit.

* * *

**A/N: What did you think? Review, Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi guys! Thanks again for the reviews, you guys are awesome! I don't have much to say (other than Bleach 228 is hilarious. It's a filler episode, so go watch it no matter how far behind you are! Bleach at the beach.) so let's get moving!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Tousen would be dead already. For some reason, he really makes me mad.**

* * *

"That really is peculiar," Yamamoto said, the hold on his cane tightening. "You say that she is starting to remember?"

"Yes sir." Hitsugaya nodded once. "Kurosaki Karin seems to unconsciously remember her family." _And me_, he added silently to himself.

"It's extremely rare for a soul to regain its memories," Yamamoto replied thoughtfully. "If I had to make a guess, something is sparking her subconscious to remember what was once lost."

Hitsugaya didn't say anything, just waited for the soutaicho to continue.

"You say that you found her because of the immense amount of reiatsu she was radiating. If that is the case, I think that our best course of action is to enroll her into the Academy once the new semester arrives. It is no surprise to me that her reiatsu is large, considering she is a Kurosaki. She could be a great asset to our forces one day. Until then, I will inform Kurosaki Ichigo and Kurosaki-fukutaicho of her arrival.

"It will be in everyone's best interest for Kurosaki Karin to regain her memories. Until her family arrives in Soul Society, guide her memories along, if at all possible. Also, make sure she is acquainted with Seireitei and knows what is expected of her. Are we clear, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

"Yes sir."

"You are dismissed."

* * *

Karin opened the door of the building, feeling slightly guilty. What did Hitsugaya expect of her? There was only so much time she could spend staring at his walls, and after finishing breakfast _and_ the leftovers from last night, she figured she would go for a little walk.

She wasn't dumb, however, and decided to go find Hitsugaya in place of mindlessly wandering. Getting lost would be annoying for both of them, and she just wanted to relieve her boredom. So, after leaving Hitsugaya's quarters, she asked a passerby where she could find Hitsugaya.

The woman had looked at her strangely, obviously wondering how Karin could be on a first-name basis with Hitsugaya-taicho, but had pointed her in the direction of the Tenth Division office.

Now, as she walked down the hallway with absolutely no idea where to look, Karin wondered about her decision to leave. Hitsugaya would most certainly kill her. Sighing, she walked into the biggest looking room.

It seemed like a typical workspace. Books on shelves lined the walls, and two desks occupied the room. One desk stood in front of the large window, the many papers on its surface stacked and orderly. The other sat behind a set of opened shoji doors connecting the room to another. It, for a lack of a better description, looked like a tornado had hit it, the papers strewn throughout, some even littering the floor around it.

A couch lay in between the two rooms, and Karin walked around to the front of it. Hitsugaya was not in his office as he had claimed, and she could only wait for him. Slightly agitated, she sat on the couch.

Her first thought was _this is one lumpy couch_.

Her second was o_h my god, did the couch just move?_

"Holy shit!" she screeched, shooting off of it. Turning around quickly, she was met with the sight of a rather buxom strawberry-blond woman, who she had apparently sat on.

The woman sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes while yawning widely.

"I'm sorry," Karin said quickly. "I didn't see you there. I just sort of sat down."

The woman blinked slowly. Then, faster than Karin thought was possible, she was off the couch and holding Karin in a bone-crushing hug.

"Karin-chan!" she squealed.

Karin attempted to remove her face from the woman's cleavage. _Attempted_ being the key word.

"Oh Karin-chan! You don't know how happy I am to see you." If possible, the woman squeezed her harder.

Karin gurbled, and the woman let her out of the hug, her hands still on Karin's shoulders.

"Do I know you?" Karin asked. It was a stupid question, really, but hey, she had to make sure.

"Yes." The woman grinned. "Matsumoto Rangiku, fukutaicho of the Tenth Division."

That explained a little. If Karin somehow knew Hitsugaya, it would make sense that she would know his subordinate as well.

"You might not remember, but you and I were good friends," Matsumoto said, smiling widely.

Well, this Matsumoto seemed willing to talk about Karin's past.

"And To-Hitsugaya-taicho and I?" she asked, amending herself quickly. She didn't want to show too much familiarity with him; she wasn't sure why she had started doing that in the first place.

Matsumoto's eyebrows lifted. "_Really_ good friends," she chided, a smirk on her face.

Karin's eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yes, Matsumoto. What is that supposed to mean?"

Both of their heads whipped around. Hitsugaya stood in the doorway, a blank look on his face.

"Taicho!" Matsumoto grinned. "I was just telling Karin-chan about the time she was sick and you—"

"Matsumoto! Report," Hitsugaya interrupted.

"But you just asked—"

"Matsumoto! _Report_."

She pouted, but let go of Karin and faced him. "All is well in the real world, taicho. The rogue Hollow attacks were the result of a school bus crashing. All of the children aboard were killed, and the Hollow were attracted to their wandering souls. Substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo took care of the Hollow, and I assisted him and Kurosaki-fukutaicho with konso."

Karin stood there, Matsumoto's words sparking something in her brain. Ichigo…

"Okay." He turned towards Karin. "Well, now that Matsumoto's back, you can stay with her, Kurosaki."

His sudden focus on her snapped Karin out of her thoughts. "What?"

"Oh, sorry, she can't stay at my place, taicho," Matsumoto cut in, eyes gleaming.

Hitsugaya, who had noticed the gleaming, eyed her questioningly. "And why not?"

"Well…I have to wash my hair that day!" she answered, winking at Karin.

"What are you getting at, Matsumoto? What does that have to do with—"

"I guess she'll have to stay with you," Matsumoto continued as if she had never heard him.

"Matsumoto, what—"

Matsumoto was already at the door. "Sorry, taicho, I have a lot of drinking to catch up on. See you later, okay?"

"Matsumoto, where do you think you're going? Matsumoto! MATSUMOTO!"

Karin smirked as she watched Hitsugaya yell at Matsumoto's retreating form. _That woman is one piece of work. I like her_.

Hitsugaya turned, his cold gaze now on her. "And what do you think you're doing here?"

Karin scratched her head sheepishly. "Well, I got bored."

He stared at her, face impassive, and she scoffed, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Where did you go, anyway?" Karin asked, still not meeting his eyes.

"I talked to Yamamoto-soutaicho."

"Who?"

"He's the First Division captain. He's kind of the captain of us captains."

Karin nodded to show she understood. Checking the couch to make sure no one else was going to jump out at her, she sat down gently on it. "What did he say?"

Hitsugaya seemed reluctant to answer her. He walked over to the orderly desk by the window and sat down in the chair behind it.

"Toshiro? What did he say?"

"Your memories from your past life seem to be coming back, as rare as it is. I, along with your family when they return, am supposed to help you recover them. Also, because of your high amount of reiatsu, you are to enroll into the Shinigami Academy next semester."

Karin resisted the urge to let her jaw drop. "I'm going to the Academy?" she asked quietly.

Hitsugaya nodded. "The new semester starts in a month."

And her memories were coming back. That was a relief, seeing as she was beginning to think she was mental.

"Were we…friends, Toshiro? Like Rangiku-san said?" Matsumoto had alluded to the two of them being more, but Karin was too embarrassed to ask that.

He stared at her for a few silent moments. Then, shifting his gaze to a pile of papers on his desk, he answered, "Yes."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I know that this is kind of an awkward spot to stop it but anywhere else would have been worse-there is a monster of a conversation coming up. Oh well! Let me know what you think! ^_^**


	14. Chapter 14

**Man! I've been trying to update for like three days now, but first I couldn't sign in and then it wouldn't let me upload anything. It kept saying that there was an error! Anyway, sorry for the wait, and thanks so much for the reviews. I had my friends read through what I haven't put up yet, and so far, they're lovin' it! Hopefully, you guys will too. Here's the next installment!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, the story would focus a little more on the main characters. I love knowing what's going on with everyone else, but Ichigo and Rukia haven't seen each other in like seventy chapters, and I'm not even sure anyone has told him that she's alive yet!**

* * *

It was silent again. Hitsugaya began filling out paperwork and Karin lounged on the couch, thinking.

They were friends. That explained a lot of things. Why she felt the need to speak informally with him from the start. How he knew where to look for her. The dreams. How she felt ridiculously drawn to him. It all fit.

"Do I like omlettes?" she suddenly asked, causing him to look up from his work.

"Well, you told me they were your favorite food," he answered, obviously confused where the question came from.

Karin nodded to herself. She loved them, and he knew it because they were friends.

Friends.

Then why did her heart flutter every time his gaze met hers? And why did her name, when it passed his lips, send a shudder through her spine?

She shook the thoughts out of her head, a little overwhelmed. A couple of days ago she was hanging out with Daisuke, Shin, and Ryo, and now she was being haunted by a past life and about to become a shinigami. It was all a little much.

"Oh! Shiro-chan!"

Karin was knocked out of her thoughts by the sudden entrance of a girl. The girl's back was to Karin, but from the bun on her head she recognized her as the girl from that morning.

Hitsugaya looked up from his paperwork at the girl. "Hinamori," he greeted.

The girl, Hinamori, apparently, took a step closer to Hitsugaya's desk. "I'm supposed to meet you for lunch today, remember?"

Hitsugaya blinked. "I'm sorry, I did forget. I've just been kind of busy."

It was Hinamori's turn to blink. "I came over for breakfast," she said slowly. "You weren't there."

"I had a meeting with Yamamoto-soutaicho," he answered, signing another piece of paper distractedly.

Feeling uncomfortable for some reason, Karin sat up and cleared her throat. Hinamori's head whipped around, her eyes widening in recognition.

"You're the girl from this morning," she said quietly.

Karin stood up and plastered what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face. "Kurosaki Karin," she said, bowing slightly. "Sorry if I was rude or something. I was just hungry, and I was in the middle of eating when you knocked."

Hinamori nodded, bowing as well. "Oh, not at all! I was just surprised. It's not everyday some strange woman opens my Shiro-chan's door!"

Hinamori giggled. The possessiveness in her tone wasn't lost on Karin.

So that was how it was.

"Of course," Hinamori continued, "it's not as if you're strange. We've met before, right before—"

She paused awkwardly, shifting her eyes.

"What?" Karin prodded. "Right before…"

"You died." At his utterance, both girls looked over at Hitsugaya, who had finished one pile and was starting another.

Karin nodded once. "Pleasant."

There was an awkward silence, and Karin turned once again to Hinamori. "I know you remember me, but would you mind…"

Hinamori's eyes widened. "I am so sorry!" Bowing again, she replied, "My name is Hinamori Momo, fukutaicho of the Fifth Division."

Karin bowed as well. "Nice to meet you."

Momo smiled slightly, turning again to Hitsugaya. "Are you ready to go, Shiro-chan?"

Karin noticed when Hitsugaya's gaze flashed to hers, and she suddenly felt like a third-wheel. "I should get going, anyway," she lied, inching towards the door.

"Where do you plan on going?" Hitsugaya asked her flatly.

"I don't know," she answered breezily. "But I have to learn my way around sometime, don't I?"

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. "I really don't think—"

"I don't need to be babysat, Toshiro," she scoffed, heading for the hallway. "Go have lunch with your girlfriend."

Hinamori's face visibly brightened. "You could join us, Kurosaki-san," she piped up.

Karin smiled tightly, her "bullshit meter" going off the charts. "_Karin_," she corrected, "and you guys go and have fun. I think I'll go find Rangiku-san or something."

And without another look at either of them, she left the office.

* * *

Hitsugaya picked at his food.

Karin was roaming Seireitei. This could not be good.

He mentally kicked himself for not forcing her to stay in the Tenth Division office. _Not that she would have stayed_, he reminded himself. But he could have skipped lunch and stayed with her. _Come to think of it, she must be hungry as well. Her reiatsu level is enormous._

He was given the sole job of looking after her, and he could think of at least five people that would kill him if something happened to her under his watch. The wrath of the Kurosakis, including the former Kuchiki Rukia, was not to be taken lightly. He groaned inwardly.

"She'll be fine, Shiro-chan," Hinamori suddenly said, making him look up at her. He suddenly got the impression that she had been watching him.

"Who?" he asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Karin-san. I know you're worried about her, but she's a big girl."

Hitsugaya felt the back of his neck suddenly heat up, and he scoffed, breaking their eye contact. "I'm not worried. I was just assigned to take care of her, and Ichigo will kill me if something happens to her."

Momo watched him with calculating eyes. "Well, I'm happy your friend is back. She just surprised me this morning, that's all."

Hitsugaya looked at her questioningly. "Why? What did she do?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wasn't expecting someone else to open your door."

Hitsugaya sighed. "Well, until Ichigo or Rukia comes back, she has nowhere to stay, so I just let her stay with me. I tried asking Matsumoto, but…well, you know how she is."

Momo was quiet, her expression unreadable. Then, "Why don't you let her stay with me, Shiro-chan? I'm sure us girls could find something to do."

"Thanks," he replied, placing money on the table, "but it's okay. I'm sure she'll drive me insane, but…" _I'm used to it_, he thought to himself, the rest of the sentence falling flat on his tongue. "Besides, I have an extra room, but you don't. She'll be less out of everyone's hair this way."

As they left the restaurant, Hitsugaya wondered at the worried expression on Momo's face.

* * *

**A/N: Man, you can just feel the tension! Do I love causing chaos! Review, let me know what you thought! ^_^**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! Sorry about the wait, just moved into college! Whoop whoop! Okay, enough of that. Thank you so much for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I definitely enjoyed writing it.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, there would be an extremely long Ichiruki interlude. All this fighting is great, but we all know what we're really waiting on. ^^**

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?!" Hitsugaya yelled, his face bright red.

"Getting a snack, obviously," Karin answered, not at all perturbed by the volume of his voice.

Hitsugaya averted his eyes, choosing instead to stare at the island in his kitchen. "Where are your clothes?!"

From his peripherals, he saw Karin shrug. "Haven't put them on yet."

He couldn't believe this. After asking Matsumoto of Karin's whereabouts, Hitsugaya returned home at the end of the day to find Karin, clad only in a towel, looking for food in the kitchen.

"And why, may I ask, haven't you put them on yet?" he said loudly to the island.

He could see her pause, and then suddenly she was blocking his view of the island. "Because I just got out of the bath," Karin said pointedly, hands on her hips. A drop of water fell from her hair, landing on her collarbone and making a path down her chest until it disappeared beneath the towel.

There was silence, and, realizing he had just been staring at Karin's chest, Hitsugaya's eyes snapped back up to her face. "You can't walk around like this, Karin."

"Why not?" she demanded, taking a swig of the juice she had found. "All my fun parts are covered. What's the problem?"

Hitsugaya shook his head, closing his eyes. He could not believe he was having a conversation about her, as she had so delicately put it, _fun parts_. She had obviously lived with boys for too long. She had no sense of modesty.

"Let me guess," Karin said, walking towards him and causing him to back up. "You've never seen a naked girl before."

He felt another blush coming on, but he pushed it down, not wanting to give her the satisfaction. "My house, my rules," he replied hastily, darting towards the door.

Karin laughed. "What are you, my dad now? Come on, Toshiro, you know you want some of this."

She laughed again, and Hitsugaya made a quick getaway. They both ignored any truth that Karin's statement might have held.

* * *

_"Sorry, Toshiro-kun," Yuzu said, opening the door to her house. "Karin-chan has been sick these last couple of days. She's probably sleeping right now."_

_Hitsugaya followed Yuzu into the Kurosaki household, taking his shoes off at the front door. He had gone to pick the twins up from their high school, but had found Yuzu there and Karin not._

_"I wanted to stay home from school to take care of her," Yuzu told him, pouting, "but Karin wouldn't let me. She said she would probably sleep all day anyway and she was capable of coming downstairs and getting a glass of water if she needed one."_

_Hitsugaya watched as Yuzu rooted in the refrigerator. "We've had soup for dinner every day this week," she told him, preparing her ingredients, "but really, there is nothing better for a cold."_

_Hitsugaya agreed, asking Yuzu how school was going. She talked animately while she worked, telling him about how she was taking cooking classes and she had learned how to make a lot of interesting things. The rest of school was kind of monotonous, but after school she loved to go to Karin's soccer games._

_"You should come to one if you have time," she said, ladling soup into a bowl on a tray. "I mean, when she's not sick, that is."_

_"Maybe one day if I can get away."_

_"Karin would really like that." Yuzu smiled prettily, placing Karin's medicine on the tray. She paused as she lifted it. "Would you like to bring this up to her, Toshiro-kun?"_

_He blinked as Yuzu forced the tray into his hands. "I--"_

_"Go on!" That smile again. Hitsugaya had a suspicion that Yuzu used her cuteness as a manipulative tool. "It's time for her medicine."_

_On guard, Hitsugaya walked slowly up the steps to the twins' room, passing Ichigo's in the process. The door was closed, but Hitsugaya could feel that there was no one in there. He knew that Ichigo was taking classes in the university one town over, and though he technically did not live with his family, he was constantly dropping in, and, Ukitake being extremely lenient, Kuchiki Rukia was often with him._

_The door to the twins' room was ajar, and Hitsugaya pushed it open with his foot. "I'm coming in, Karin," he said loudly before entering._

_She was in her bed, the covers pushed almost completely off of it, stretched out on her back. Her attire had happy, smiling onigiri all over it, and before he could comment on her affinity for food-print pajamas, he caught sight of her belly button, just visible as she stretched and her pajama top rose a little._

_Hitsugaya looked away, feeling like some voyeur. He set the tray on her desk, then braved a look at her face. For the love of god, she isn't even awake!_

_"Karin," he said louder, hoping to wake her._

_Almost immediately, an eye popped open, looking for the intruder. When she spotted him, she sat up slowly, her face flushed and her hair a piece of work. On one side, it clung to her head and some of her face, as if it had separation anxiety, and on the other it stood up in multiple directions, rivaling Einstein._

_Karin mumbled incoherently, clearly out of it, before settling her gaze on Hitsugaya again. "Who are you?"_

_"What do you mean, who am I?" he snorted. "Toshiro, remember? Hitsugaya Toshiro?"_

_The look on her face made him wonder if he had said Santa Claus by mistake. "What are you doing here?" she asked in awe, rubbing her eyes._

_"Matsumoto and I were assigned here." He gestured towards the soup. "You should eat."_

_A bunch of gibberish escaped her mouth before she mumbled, "No soup. It's too hot."_

_Hitsugaya considered her for a second. So she was feverish. He picked up her pills and the glass of water that Yuzu had given her to swallow them with. "At least take your medicine."_

_She took it from him, staring at him strangely. When she had taken the medicine and downed the entire glass of water, she suddenly blurted, "You're pretty."_

_Well, his masculine pride was hurt. What happened to drop-dead gorgeous?_ Pretty_? He was moving backwards._

_"You're delusional. You don't know what you're saying," Hitsugaya answered cooly, placing a tentative hand on her forehead. She was burning up._

_Karin sighed contentedly, leaning into his cool touch. To his surprise, when he removed his hand, she snatched it back. "No," she snapped, dragging his entire arm to rest on her forehead. "You feel good."_

_Well now, he couldn't very well just sit there with his arm awkwardly pressed to her face. After a few seconds, he tried to retrieve his appendage, but that seemed to make her more angry, and she refused to let go, instead pulling hard on his arm and causing him to fall onto the bed with her._

_He sat up abruptly. "Wha--"_

_Karin pushed him roughly on his back, hovering over him._

_The breath caught in his throat. "Karin, what--"_

_"Shut it," she mumbled, her voice deeply tinged with sleep. She dropped beside him, cuddling close and burrowing her face in his neck._

_Hitsugaya was still for a long time, his body rigid. Then, Karin snored loudly, her breath tickling the hairs on his neck._

_Rolling his eyes, Hitsugaya slowly wrapped his arms around her. Karin snuggled closer to him in her sleep, content. _Well_, he reasoned with himself, _she_ is _hot_. The heat was coming off of her in waves. _Plus, she probably won't even remember this_. He might as well get comfortable._

_"Oops!"_

_Hitsugaya's eyes whipped to the window. Matsumoto was there, poking her head in. He had been so distracted that he hadn't felt her coming. Damn it._

_"I'll just come back later!" she said in a stage whisper, giggling._

_"No need, Matsumoto." Almost reluctantly, he detached himself from Karin. She rolled over._

_"Are you sure you don't need more time, taicho?"_

_Hitsugaya looked at Matsumoto again. Amazing. She had actually seemed serious that time. "Yes."_

_Between the medicine and him, Karin's body temperature had dropped back to normal. Hitsugaya grabbed the covers bunched towards the end of the bed and pulled them around her. Matsumoto had a look of astonishment on her face, and Hitsugaya glared at her, clearly saying _don't start_._

_He exited through the window, and they ran through the night.

* * *

**A/N: Heh heh...don't you wish that would happen for real? Sigh. Well, there you go, the "time Karin-chan was sick" that Matsumoto mentioned before. What'd you think? Let me know! ^_^**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! Long time no see! Sorry for the wait, but thanks for the reviews! I hope that you enjoyed reading the last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Anyway, this story is finally moving along to a major plot point! Yay! Hope that you enjoy this as well, and please review!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Grimmjow and Ulquiorra would have come back already and would be kicking Arrancar tail. Come on, you don't really believe they're dead, do you?**

* * *

Hitsugaya woke with a start. At first he was confused why he was awake, but then he noticed the feeling in the air.

Karin was leaking reiatsu. Again.

Hurriedly, he slid out of his futon and headed down the hall to her room. He thought about knocking, but chose instead to open the door.

The room was filled with her reiatsu, and the air around him steamed when his reiatsu met hers. He walked over to her futon, where she lay.

"Karin, wake up! You're doing it again." She didn't stir, and Hitsugaya knelt down to shake her. "Hey."

The reiatsu abruptly disappeared, and Karin's onyx eyes slowly opened to meet his. They stayed like that for a couple of moments, just staring at each other. Then, Karin broke the silence.

"Fenikkusu," she whispered hoarsely.

"What?"

"My zanpakuto. Her name is Fenikkusu."

Phoenix.

"She told me," Karin said quieter, more to herself.

They sat in comfortable silence once more. Then, Hitsugaya stood up. "Well," he started, "I'm awake." He offered his hand for her to take, and after staring at it for a second, she did. He lifted her to her feet.

"I am too."

"Well then, let's go."

Karin glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's two in the morning, Toshiro. Where could we possibly be going?"

Smirking, Hitsugaya made his way over to her closet. He pulled a soccer ball from its top shelf, showing it to her.

* * *

The next week went by quickly, and the two moved into a routine. Every night they would go to a field near Ninth Division and have a late night soccer game. Karin had been confused at first, but her body definitely had remembered the movements, and she played the game completely on instinct.

Karin was a beast, but so was he, and the games would easily last two hours or more, meaning that Hitsugaya would often go into the office tired while Karin slept in. After she got her beauty rest, though, she would make her way to the Tenth Division office, where she would hang out, distracting him. Hitsugaya never complained.

Hitsugaya would do all the cooking. Karin just wasn't culinarily talented, and the one time she had tried making dinner for the two of them, Hitsugaya had come home to find his kitchen on the verge of literally exploding. Since then, it was an unspoken rule that Hitsugaya would cook and Karin would eat.

One day in the office, while Matsumoto animately told Karin about her drinking escapade from the night before, a Hell Butterfly flew in the window, hovering over Hitsugaya's head. He sighed, lifting a finger for it to land on.

He raised an eyebrow. "I had forgotten about them," he muttered to himself.

He apparently had not been as quiet as he thought, because when he looked up, both Karin and Matsumoto were looking at him, waiting.

"Who did you forget about?" Karin asked.

The butterfly lifted off of his finger, and he watched it fly away before answering. "Your brother, Kurosaki Ichigo, and your sister-in-law, Kurosaki Rukia, have just been informed of your retrieval." He frowned slightly. "I don't know what took so long, but Yamamoto-soutaicho probably didn't think it was top priority."

Karin shifted, not sure what she was feeling. "So what now?" she asked finally.

"Now," Hitsugaya replied, standing up, "we meet them in the world of the living."

Matsumoto grinned.

* * *

When Karin stepped out into the world of the living, the first thing she saw was a man in a green striped hat. The hat obscured his eyes, and the fan that he was holding in front of himself hid the rest of his face.

"Oh my," he said in a singsong voice.

Hitsugaya stepped next to her, his expression annoyed. "We need gigais," he said curtly.

"No hello, Hitsugaya-taicho?" Karin couldn't tell whether the man naturally had a singsongy voice or whether he was purposely being annoying.

Hitsugaya glared at him impatiently. "Urahara-san," he said, his voice with an obvious edge. "Yoruichi-san."

Karin looked around, wondering who he was speaking to. The only other thing in the room was the black cat that had walked up behind this so-called Urahara.

Both Urahara and the cat were staring at her. "Kurosaki Karin," she said, bowing slightly.

Urahara dropped the fan, grinning. "Interesting," he said, turning around and walking away. "Follow me, please."

Hitsugaya lightly placed a hand to the small of her back, leading her. She was all too aware of his touch.

Within minutes, she found herself in the gigai, which was really just a body. It felt strange, sort of constricting, and she felt weirdly grounded. To her horror, she was suddenly in a powder pink dress with girly flowers all over it. She grimaced.

Hitsugaya stepped into his as well, and reappeared in the black shirt and jeans that he frequently wore in her dreams. He glanced at Karin, smirking at her expression.

"I think you look nice," he chided, before reluctantly remembering the last time he had seen her in a dress. That hadn't gone so well.

"Shut the hell up," she seethed, debating whether wearing the monstrosity was more embarrassing than just walking around naked.

A red-haired boy entered the room, his hands full of boxes. "Where do you want these, Yoruichi-san?"

"Put them on the table," a masculine voice answered. Karin turned at the voice, but only saw the cat.

The boy set the boxes down, wiped his brow, and turned around. At the sight of Karin, he visibly paled. "Kurosaki?"

Karin heard a pop, and turned to find a beautiful woman standing where the cat had been, naked as the day she was born. Karin turned away, uncomfortable, surprised no one else was saying anything. Even Hitsugaya did little more than avert his eyes.

"Let it go, Jinta," Karin heard the woman say.

"But-I-"

"Let it _go_."

Karin heard a ragged sigh, and then footsteps. Suddenly, Jinta was in front of her.

"Just..." He wasn't looking her in the eye, and the mood that came off of him in waves made her highly uncomfortable. "Just tell her I'm sorry, okay?"

"Okay, that's enough of that!" Urahara said too cheerily, pushing Jinta towards the front of the store. "Go help Ururu. A big shipment just came in."

Jinta nodded, still not meeting Karin's eye, and walked out of the room.

An unknown emotion was boiling in Karin's stomach. She turned and faced the group again, happy to find the woman fully dressed, and suppressed the urge to hit something.

Hitsugaya glanced at her cautiously, gauging her mood. "We should go."

She nodded, walking past him and Urahara and Yoruichi and out of Urahara Shoten.

Karin had no good reason to be, but she was so _mad_. She stomped down the street, not noticing Hitsugaya following behind her until he spoke.

"Where are you going?"

She whipped her head around to face him. He looked vaguely amused.

Now that he mentioned it, she had no clue where she was going. She stopped, confused.

"It's okay," he said quietly, walking ahead of her so that she could follow. "You were remembering."

She trailed behind him, wishing she could remember more than just her way home.

They turned a corner, and Hitsugaya stopped.

_Kurosaki Clinic_, the sign on the building read, and Karin suddenly felt extremely nervous.

Hitsugaya seemed to sense her distress, and lightly placed his hand on her elbow, urging her forward. "They've been waiting a long time for this," he told her, his eyes burning into hers. "We all have."

Karin wasn't completely sure that she had heard him say the last part. She stared back, wondering what he meant. Before she could ask, however, he had opened the door to the house.

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun duuuunnn! Enter...the Kurosaki family! Sorry for leaving you in such a terrible spot, but review, and maybe i'll update faster! ^_^**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait; I just have been super busy with school. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It's making me happy that so many people are getting so excited about this fic. Sorry, by the way, for leaving you with that cliffie! It was a little mean...**

_**Anyway,**_** I'm not sure if you can tell, but this chapter is slightly longer than the others. I hope that you enjoy it!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I couldn't have made FTB any more awesome. (Well, an Ichiruki confession would have done it, but I'll take what I can get! ^_^)**

* * *

The first thing that Karin felt was a huge sense of deja vu. The second thing she felt was completely at home.

"Karin-chan?"

A girl stood in the doorway to the kitchen, her eyes wide with awe. Suddenly, they began to well up, and her bottom lip began to quiver. "Karin-chan?"

All Karin could do was nod. The girl was crying, and Karin didn't like it, but she didn't know what to do to halt the tears.

Wailing, the girl ran to Karin, throwing her arms around her and sobbing into her neck. "Oh Karin-chan! I've missed you."

Karin rubbed the girl's back comfortingly, not at all perturbed that her personal space was being violated. "I missed you too...Yuzu."

And there it was. Yuzu. Her twin, her other half. Suddenly, everything seemed so much better, worth it.

She still didn't know much about herself, didn't know what she had been through or even who she really was. But, standing there, in an oddly familiar kitchen with Yuzu and Hitsugaya, Karin finally felt whole. And she knew that this was where she was meant to be.

Yuzu finally peeled herself off of her, allowing Karin to get a good look at her. Her hair, the color of brown sugar, flowed down her back, a cutesy strawberry clip holding her long bangs away from her face. She wore a pretty floral dress similar to Karin's, but, in Karin's opinion, looked much better in it.

Yuzu sniffled, seeming to notice Hitsugaya for the first time. "It was you wasn't it, Toshiro-kun?" She threw her arms around him, fresh tears twinkling in her eyes. "Thank you so much. I knew you would keep your promise."

Hitsugaya patted her back once.

Karin watched, slightly amazed. If she squinted a little and turned her head slightly and looked to the side of him instead of directly at him, it almost looked like he was _smiling_. She blinked, and the illusion was broken.

"IS THAT MY KARIN-CHAN?!"

Karin's hand shot out, her fist connecting cleanly with a man's jaw.

Said man crashed to the floor, cradling the lower half of his face.

Karin's eyes widened, horrified. "I am _so_ sorry," she exclaimed.

Hitsugaya smirked. "Is that how you greet everyone?"

"Shut it, Toshiro!" she shouted at him.

The man stood up, grinning like a madman. "You really _are_ my Karin-chan!"

Karin looked at him in confusion. She had just socked him, and he was _happy_ about it? _Kami help me, please do not let this man be my--_

"Daddy is so happy!"

She inwardly groaned. At the same time, the fact that her father was a loon didn't bother her much.

The man proceeded to cry big crocodile tears, setting Yuzu off for another round of her own.

"Where's onii-chan?" Yuzu asked, wiping her eyes with a hand.

"There was a Hollow. Rukia-chan made him go with her," her father--Isshin, Karin remembered--answered.

"As much as I love family reunions," Karin said dryly, " I would really like to change out of this sad excuse for clothing."

Yuzu grinned, taking her hand. "Come on!"

Karin let herself be led up the stairs, through a hallway, and into a room. One side of it was incredibly girly, with frills and even a couple of stuffed animals on the bed. The other side was more boyish, with posters of soccer stars and darker colors. A pair of dirty tennis shoes sat at the foot of the bed, as if someone couldn't bear to move them.

Instinctively, Karin moved to the boyish side of the room, rooting through her drawers for something acceptable to wear. Yuzu sat on Karin's bed, watching her intently, as if she was afraid she would disappear.

"We didn't touch your side of the room," she stated offhandedly. "Well, I cleaned it, but everything should be right where you left it."

Karin grunted her acknowledgement, still rooting through the drawers.

"You should just keep on what you're wearing, Karin-chan. It's very pretty."

"It's hideous. Anyone with eyes can see that, Yuzu."

Yuzu smiled. "Toshiro-kun didn't seem to think so!"

That got Karin's attention. She turned and looked at Yuzu. "What?"

"The way he was looking at you! Of course, he tends to look at you that way no matter what you wear."

Karin balked. "Okay, now I _know_ you've been smoking something."

"Anyone with eyes can see it, Karin-chan," Yuzu replied, repeating Karin's words back at her. She stood from the bed and walked over to her. "He looks at you like you used to look at him. Like you're the sun and moon and stars."

Karin felt a blush creeping up the back of her neck. "I don't know what you're insinuating," she said, returning to her clothes hunt, "but it doesn't really matter. He has a girlfriend."

Yuzu's eyes widened. "And she's not you? I just thought--"

"Well you thought wrong this time, Yuzu." There was no malice behind her words, but Karin really wanted to be done with the conversation. She held up a t-shirt and shorts triumphantly.

She ripped the dress off of herself, replacing it with her own clothes, and picked up the gym shoes that had been in one spot for years, waiting for her to reclaim them. Looking in the mirror, she thought that she didn't look half bad. Besides, with Yuzu's reflection standing behind her, it was hard to look amazing anyway. It was clear who got all the "pretty" genes.

It didn't really matter how she looked. It was how she felt that mattered, and her old stuff made her feel like her old self. Decided, Karin reopened drawers, throwing clothes on her bed.

"What are you doing, Karin-chan?" Yuzu asked, a confused expression on her face.

"Packing." She moved to the walls, taking a couple of posters down. "I want to take some of my stuff back with me to Soul Society."

"Soul Society?" Yuzu exclaimed, running over and stopping Karin's hands with her own. "You just got here! We just found you again!"

Karin's heart went out to her twin. She dropped the poster she was holding and clasped Yuzu's hands. "I'm a soul, Yu," she said gently. "I can't stay here. I belong in Soul Society."

Yuzu nodded, sniffling and avoiding her eyes. "I have to finish dinner," she finally said, extracting her hands from her sister's. "I'll meet you downstairs."

Karin watched as she left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She half wished she had never known about her other self,_ this self_, because it was only complicating things. One half of her clearly belonged here, in the human world, with her family, but it just was not possible. Maybe if she asked, Hitsugaya could bring her down for more visits. He was a captain, right? Couldn't he pull some strings?

Sighing, Karin opened her desk drawer. Now that she had the necessities, she was looking for anything else that she would want to bring with her. Nothing out of the ordinary popped out at her. Standard pens and pencils, a _really_ old gum wrapper, sheets of paper. She was about to close the drawer when she noticed a tiny corner of something sticking out.

There appeared to be something caught behind the drawer, as if it had been stuffed as far back as it could go. Carefully, so she wouldn't get any of her fingers caught, Karin grabbed the corner, coaxing the object out.

It was a strip of paper. It was wrinkled, as if it had been crumpled and then smoothed out again, and there was a small rip in one corner. She fingered the paper, wondering why she would keep it at all, and turned it over.

Her jaw dropped.

It was a _picture_! Multiple pictures, actually, but the surprising thing was that they were of her and Hitsugaya. She was a lot younger, but she could still recognize herself. She scanned the pictures curiously.

Hitsugaya glaring at her, and her grinning back.

Her, pointing at the camera, her mouth open in speech, and Hitsugaya, stone-faced as always, looking where she was pointing.

Them with matching peace signs, their faces dangerously close together. She looked agitated, her arm slung around Hitsugaya's neck, and his eyes were widened slightly.

It was the last one, though, that almost made her drop the printout in shock.

She had looked at the camera, flashing her signature cocky grin. Hitsugaya, however, had looked at her.

And she'd be damned if he hadn't seen the sun and moon and stars.

* * *

Matsumoto hummed to herself as she lounged on the couch in Tenth Division. She really should have been filling out the paperwork that Hitsugaya had left her, but really, she was too happy to take anything seriously.

Her taicho was back to normal! He was sarcastic. He yelled. He was no longer an empty shell, and Matsumoto had no doubt that Karin was the one who changed him. He was just so much happier with her around, distracting him, and distracting Matsumoto even more.

This happy occasion, in her mind, called for a drink, so, still humming, she stood up and walked over to the bookcase, pulling a book out and revealing her secret stash. Her taicho was always finding her sake bottles and getting rid of them, but he still hadn't found this spot. She grinned, wondering who her drinking partners should be today. Hisagi definitely. Maybe Kira, if he could spare some time from his taicho-fukutaicho duties.

A familiar reiatsu tickled her senses, and Matsumoto inwardly groaned. Although she thought that Hinamori was a sweet girl, she really didn't feel like dealing with this right now, when there was a good bottle of sake to drink.

Hinamori entered the room, smiling sweetly to Matsumoto. She frowned slightly when she realized that Hitsugaya wasn't in the room. "Good morning, Rangiku-san. Do you know where Shiro-chan is?"

"He's in the human world, Momo-chan," she replied, the weight of the bottle in her hand reminding her of its presence.

Hinamori stared at her dumbly for a moment. Then, with a much smaller smile on her face, she replied, "But we were supposed to go visit Granny together today."

Well then, Matsumoto couldn't very well tell her that he had ditched her to escort Karin to meet the Kurosakis. Matsumoto knew, as well as Momo did, that that mission did not require anyone of captain status, just someone to get Karin through the gate. Hell, Hitsugaya could have sent _her_; it's not like she was going to do anything productive today, and she knew that he knew that.

Instead of stirring things up, Matsumoto patted Momo's shoulder. "Taicho will be back soon," she said brightly. "You guys can go another day. Maybe tomorrow!"

Momo nodded, her eyes scanning the room. She had no doubt noticed the other person absent. "Sorry for bothering you," she said quietly, walking quickly out of the room.

Matsumoto sighed. _Oh well_, she thought, opening the sake bottle. _Not my problem_.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! That one was a little hard. I hope no one seemed OC, and I hoped you enjoyed the twins' reunion! Next chapter, the rest of the gang!**

**If you liked it, review and tell me what you liked! If you didn't, review and tell me what you didn't. Either way, reviews let me know what I'm doing right! ^_^**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. I know it was mean of me, and unfortunately I'm going to have to be a little meaner! This chapter is a little shorter than the others because this was the only logical place I could stop the chapter. If I didn't, this would have been a monster, which you probably would have liked, but I'm still editing that part! SO, I'm going to have to apologize for the chapter and cliffie and hope you enjoy it!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, the Hitsuhina paring would be completely squashed. No chance in hell.**

* * *

Karin walked down the stairs, duffel bag in hand. She was officially confused. Just when she thought she had her relationship with Hitsugaya down, life—or death, whatever she was in now—threw her a curveball. They were friends. But were they really more? Had they been more, and it just didn't work out? Or was she just reading too much into the picture, now tucked securely in between a couple of shirts and a poster, because of what Yuzu had said?

Hitsugaya was sitting at the kitchen table, and glanced at her as she came into the room. Karin felt her face heat up, and she looked quickly away from him.

It was then that she realized that they were the only ones in the room. Her father was weirdly absent, and Yuzu was gone as well. This fact only seemed to make her feel more awkward, and she sat down at the table, making sure to keep a seat in between them.

Hitsugaya was looking at her, perplexed. "Are you—okay?" he asked, seeming to have trouble finding the right words. "I mean, how are you feeling?"

Karin wasn't sure what he was talking about at first, but then she remembered the situation that she was in. "Oh, I'm fine. More than fine. I feel right at home."

He nodded, and it was silent once again. Karin wondered if Hitsugaya felt as awkward as she did.

Luckily for her, the silence was broken by shouting outside. At first it was muffled, but the words got clearer as the voices got closer.

"I told you that I could take care of it myself!"

"You didn't even see it coming! It would have hit you."

"So you jump in front of me? You baka, your wound is worse than the one that I would have received!"

"It doesn't hurt at all."

There was silence, and then a yell and a hiss.

"Doesn't hurt at all, does it?"

"What the hell, Rukia?!"

"Um, maybe you guys could have this conversation inside." A third person, with a high, feminine voice.

"The neighbors might complain again." A fourth person, definitely a guy.

"Shut up, Ishida. It's my house, I'll yell as loud as I fucking want." Another hiss. "Rukia! _What is your fucking problem?_"

"My problem, Ichigo, is that I am fukutaicho of the Thirteenth Division, and yet you still feel the need to protect me from a third-rate Hollow. Who do you think is going to have to take care of that wound, anyway?"

The door slammed open, and a petite, raven-haired woman stomped in, followed by a tall, orange-haired man. They didn't seem to notice Hitsugaya or Karin, too wrapped up in each other, murder in their eyes.

The other two companions walked in as well, the male shutting the door behind them. The girl, who had long auburn hair and huge, ahem, assets, noticed Karin immediately. She smiled largely at her.

"Karin-chan!" Because of all the yelling that the other two were doing, the girl's voice sounded like a whisper. "You might not remember me, but I'm Inoue Orihime. And this"—she gestured toward the other male, who pushed his glasses further up his nose—"this is my fiancée Ishida Uryu."

Karin noticed the faint blush that occupied both of their faces. Ishida nodded at her.

Orihime suddenly lit up. "Hitsugaya-kun!" she squealed, hugging him from behind his chair. "It's good to see you again."

Hitsugaya patted her arm once, seemingly immune to bear hugs. Karin supposed that was Matsumoto's doing. "Inoue. Ishida."

The shouting got louder, and Karin winced.

"Don't worry," Ishida told her, shaking his head. "They're always like this."

"What is she so mad about?" Karin asked incredulously.

Orihime smiled. "Kurosaki-kun took a hit that was meant for Kuchiki-san. She thinks that he sees her as weak. Really, though, Kurosaki-kun loves her too much to see her hurt."

Karin glanced at the bickering couple. That was what love looked like?

"Inoue-san," Ishida said, "she's not 'Kuchiki' anymore, remember?"

"I know, but I can't help calling her that, Ishida-kun." She pouted. "I told you to call me Orihime, remember?"

"And I told you to call me Uryu." He smiled softly at her. "I guess we both have to work on that. Together."

Orihime grabbed Ishida's hand, and the two looked into each other's eyes, seemingly having a whole conversation.

Karin choked back a gag. The couples in the room were at two different extremes; either way, this was going to end in some serious face-sucking, and she didn't want to be stuck there sitting with Hitsugaya while people made out around them.

Suddenly, it was quiet. Karin turned to find both Ichigo and Rukia staring at her.

"Karin," Ichigo said quietly. His amber eyes softened at the sight of her, and his body seemed to lose all of its tension in relief.

She stood up, suddenly feeling shy. "Ichi-nii," she said, just as quietly.

Rukia smiled, and Ichigo took a step towards Karin.

And then there was a flash of movement, and Ichigo was on the ground, apparently having been drop-kicked by Isshin, who had appeared out of nowhere.

Ichigo was up in a split second, a hand nursing the side of his head. "_WHAT THE HELL!?_"

"Still not as sharp as Daddy," Isshin bragged, flexing his biceps. "You need to train more, Ichigo. You let your guard dow-"

Ichigo kicked his father in the jaw, shutting him up. "Goddamn lunatic," he mumbled, turning back to Karin.

Karin suddenly remembered how Ichigo would check her and Yuzu's closets every night when they were little, making sure there were no monsters. How he would let her sleep with him when she had nightmares about their mother. How he would always make her hot chocolate, the mug overflowing with marshmallows, when she was having a bad day. Suddenly, she was not so shy anymore, and she walked right over to him and gave him a big hug.

He was surprised, but he hugged her back. "Welcome home, Karin."

"It's good to be back." Karin couldn't have wiped the grin off of her face if she wanted to.

They parted, and Rukia gave Karin a little squeeze as well. "We missed you," she said simply.

"Were you the one who found her, Toshiro?" Ichigo asked.

For a minute she had forgotten he was there, and Karin turned towards him.

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho, Kurosaki," he answered bluntly. "And yes. I found her."

Ichigo smiled. "Thanks, man. I owe you one."

Hitsugaya's eyes darted away, and he looked uncomfortable. "You don't owe me anything."

The sound of footsteps preceded the voice. "I'm ready!"

Everyone turned to see Yuzu coming down the stairs, a duffel bag of her own in her hands.

"Ready for what, Yuzu?" Ichigo asked cautiously.

Yuzu's eyes widened when she noticed all the people in the room. She seemed unsure for a second, then blurted "I'm going with Karin-chan to Soul Society" before she lost her nerve.

There was a beat of silence, and then Ichigo and Isshin simultaneously yelled, "What?!"

* * *

**A/N: What did you think? Go on, let me have it! I really appreciate reviews, and love hearing from you! ^_^**


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, people, I'm back! Once again, I would like to apologize for that torturous last chapter. I honestly did not want to be the mean, cliffie-writing author but-oh well. Let's move on with our lives, shall we?**

**Okay, I would first like to say that this chapter is a little...unorthodox in the Bleach world, but hey, I'm the author, so I have liberties and get to make up whatever I want. Just go with it, people! Let's move this story along! ^_^**

**Oh, and thank you all for the amazing reviews! It really makes me happy that others enjoy my work.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, the story would be moving along a little quicker. Even though I don't want Bleach to be over, I feel like the story is dragging.**

* * *

Rukia, although clearly shaken, seemed to be the only one thinking clearly. "Yuzu," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You're only nineteen. You still have the rest of your life ahead of you."

"I don't want it," Yuzu replied stubbornly.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ichigo shook his head in disbelief.

"Yuzu," Karin started, feeling slightly guilty. "Don't do this because of _me_. I'll find a way to come and visit you."

Yuzu opened her mouth, but closed it again, looking away.

"You know," Rukia said suddenly, "I think that she should go."

"I agree," Orihime piped up.

"What the fuck is wrong with you people?!" Ichigo exploded. "My sister finally comes back from the dead and you think it's a good idea to kill the other one? _Are you people on something?_"

Rukia gave him a look that would have made anyone else drop dead, but he just glared back.

"She wouldn't necessarily have to die."

All eyes turned to Hitsugaya, having forgotten he was in the room.

"Really," Ichigo said dryly. "You really think that Yama-jii is just going to let a ryoka live in Soul Society. Indefinitely."

"I didn't say that," Hitsugaya snapped back. He paused. "It's never really been done before, but you Kurosakis don't really do things normally anyway."

"That's the understatement of the century," Uryu murmured.

"What is it, Toshiro-kun?" Yuzu asked.

He stood up. "You could abandon your body. We could knock you out of it."

"What if she started to hollify?" Rukia asked worriedly. "I don't think that she could handle the same process as Ichigo."

"We would never cut her Chain of Fate, just push her out of her body. Normally, only souls go to Soul Society. In theory then, if we sent her soul to Soul Society, her body would stay behind here. Also, because her Chain of Fate would still be intact, her soul and body would still be linked, leaving her with her memories and keeping her technically 'alive.'"

Karin gawked internally. Man, who knew that of all the things, she found Hitsugaya's _brain_ sexy? Hurriedly, she focused her attention on Yuzu. Jumping Hitsugaya in front of all those people would not go over well.

"How would she get to Soul Society, Hitsugaya-kun?" Orihime asked.

He glanced at Yuzu. "We could take her through the Senkaimon Gate, although that would probably be painful, considering she would still be attached to her body. It would hurt for her to move. We could also perform konso, but we have no way of knowing where she would show up in Soul Society."

"The konso," Yuzu said hurriedly. "Do the konso."

"NOW WAIT JUST ONE DAMN MINUTE!" Ichigo roared, clearly enraged by all the plans being made around him. Yuzu looked up at him with big doe eyes. Ichigo visibly relaxed, much calmer.

"Yuzu," he said calmly, "what about school? Are you just going to leave school?"

"It was just a culinary college, onii-chan. I already know how to cook. Besides, I can go to school with Karin-chan in Soul Society. I don't have as much reiatsu as she does, but I'm still a Kurosaki. I have potential."

"And where do you think you're going to stay? The new semester for the Academy isn't for a few more weeks."

Yuzu frowned, clearly not having thought that far.

Karin glanced at Hitsugaya, and he nodded at her. "You can stay with me, Yuzu," she told her sister, smiling.

Ichigo turned to Karin. "And where are you staying?"

Although Karin was just getting to know Ichigo again, she knew it probably wasn't a good idea to tell him where she had been staying. "Well—"

"You know, I'm starting to think you don't want Yuzu to go to Soul Society," Rukia interrupted, "because then you would have no excuse to stay here."

Ichigo blinked, his attention successfully diverted. Karin made a mental note to thank Rukia for that later.

"There are still two captain slots open, and Yamamoto-soutaicho has been saving one for you," Rukia continued. "You told him that you needed to look after Yuzu, but if she's up there with us, then you can do both."

"I would never use Yuzu as an excuse," Ichigo said loudly.

"I know that, onii-chan," Yuzu replied. "At least not intentionally. Don't let me get in the way of you living your own life."

The kitchen was quiet. Then, Ichigo let out a long breath. He nodded once. "Okay."

"Daddy," Yuzu said, walking over to Isshin. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I'm just thinking." He seemed surprisingly calm. "I think that it's time for me to return to Soul Society too. My kids are all grown up and don't need me anymore."

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes as Isshin began sobbing. Yuzu patted his back reassuringly, claiming that she would always need him.

The tears stopped as quickly as they appeared. "Yamamoto's been trying to get me up there for years. I guess now is as good a time as any."

Karin shook her head in disbelief. One visit, and suddenly her entire circus of a family was coming to Soul Society?

"Are you sure this is what you want, Yuzu?" Hitsugaya asked. "This method has never been tried before. Anything can happen."

"I'm sure." Yuzu took a deep breath. "Can we just get it over with?"

Hitsugaya suddenly had Hyourinmaru in his hand. "I've already talked to Matsumoto. She'll be on the lookout for Yuzu since she knows what her reiatsu feels like."

Rukia reached into her purse and pulled out her spirit glove. "This will have to be quick," she said, her voice full of authority. "This will hurt. You will probably have trouble breathing." She slipped the glove on.

"Are you sure you don't want to go through the Senkaimon, Yuzu?" Ichigo seemed sort of nervous. "At least that way we would know where you are."

"No," Yuzu said firmly. She turned to Rukia. "Now? Please?"

Rukia nodded once, then smacked Yuzu lightly on the forehead. Her soul stumbled backwards, the body falling limply to the floor. Yuzu dropped to her knees, her eyes wide, gasping for air.

Ichigo began to panic. "It's okay if you change your mind, Yuzu! We can put you back!"

"Stop it, Ichi-nii." Karin kelt down beside her gasping sister, clasping her hands. "It's okay, Yuzu," she told her sister quietly, noticing the panic in her eyes. "We'll find you. We'll be together soon."

And as Yuzu regained her calm, Hitsugaya touched his zanpakuto to her forehead. The soul Yuzu disappeared, a Hell Butterfly flying into the night, and her body lay motionless on the ground.

"Don't worry, Karin-chan." Orihime put a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be okay. Yuzu's strong."

"I know that," Karin replied, standing up. "You should probably tell that to Ichi-nii. I think he's having an aneurism."

Orihime looked at Ichigo, who was talking to Rukia. "I think that Kuchiki-san can handle it," she said, smiling. "Ishida-kun and I need to be going anyway." She gave Hitsugaya a quick hug, then reached over and squeezed Karin.

"Good luck," Orihime whispered in her ear, and when she pulled back and winked at her, there was no question her intention.

Karin blushed, looking away, and Orihime giggled. Waving, her and Ishida left.

"We should leave too."

His sudden voice startled her, and she turned to find him behind her, close enough for his breath to sway the hairs on her neck slightly. She went and grabbed her and Yuzu's bags, if only to put a little distance between herself and Hitsugaya.

"Yeah," she said, prying off her father, who had suddenly plastered himself to her. "Let's go."

* * *

**A/N: Whew! There you go, folks. Let me know what you think, and I promise I'll start sending these chapters out a little quicker! ^_^**


	20. Chapter 20

**Yay! Early update! Not only that, but the chapter is a lot longer than usual! Rejoice! Haha, ignore me. Thanks for the reviews; they made my day. Hmmm...I don't know what else to say other than I know that this story is moving kind of slowly, but don't worry, we'll get there! When I came up with the idea for this, it quickly took off, and now the result is really epic. Oh well, all I can do is hope that my lovely readers stay with me till the end!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Urahara and Yoruichi would have shown up already. Oh. Yeah.**

* * *

"Are you sure we should leave Yuzu's body with Urahara?" Karin asked as they stepped through the Senkaimon. "That guy seems kind of shady."

"He is," Hitsugaya replied flatly. "But he is also trustworthy with matters such as these."

"If you say so." Karin looked at the darkened sky, surprised it was nighttime. _Time flies when you're having fun_, she thought dryly.

Her head snapped back down when she felt Hitsugaya's hand on her shoulder. "I know you're worried about her," he said, not looking at her, "but don't be. I'll find her, even if it takes me all night."

A wave of emotion washed over her, and she struggled to push it back down. "Don't be stupid, Toshiro. I'm coming with you."

He looked at her then, a snowy eyebrow raised. "You do realize," he said, opening the door to the Tenth Division office, "that you would only slow me down."

The moment was broken. "Ass," Karin scoffed, angrily walking ahead of him into the office. She could feel him smirking as he followed behind her.

She suddenly halted in her tracks, causing Hitsugaya to run into her.

"What?" Hitsugaya asked irritably, stepping around her to see what she was gawking at. He stopped as well.

There, sitting on the couch with Matsumoto, was Yuzu. She grinned, running over to hug her twin, who was still in shock.

"Surprise!" Matsumoto squealed. "Don't tell _me_ I don't do my job, taicho!"

Hitsugaya's eyebrows were knitted together in confusion. "Where did you find her?"

"Right outside the office," she responded airily. "But I still found her."

"I'm glad you're safe, Yuzu," Karin finally said.

"Why would she end up here?" Hitsugaya asked out loud.

"Maybe she just has a really good sense of direction," Matsumoto piped up.

"Or maybe it was because I was the one that sent her." He watched as Yuzu finally let Karin out of the hug, choosing instead to link her arm through hers. "If Rukia had sent her, she probably would have ended up somewhere by Thirteenth Division."

"That's not important taicho." Matsumoto's tone was suddenly so serious that Hitsugaya turned to look at her. She didn't return his gaze, and he followed her line of sight to the twins. Yuzu was running her fingers through Karin's hair, complaining about the cut, and Karin was laughing, playfully pushing her away.

Matsumoto noticed when her taicho's lips curved slightly upward. She grinned.

"What are you smiling at?" Hitsugaya demanded, immediately suspicious.

"Nothing." Her smile grew. He scowled at her, turquoise eyes flashing.

Karin walked over, Yuzu still on her arm. "Let's go, Toshiro. Yuzu's tired."

"Go on ahead," he answered. "I have some paperwork that is due first thing tomorrow, and I want to look it over."

"Suit yourself," Karin replied, shrugging. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "If you're not home in the next couple of hours I'm coming to get you."

He sighed audibly. "Fine."

Content, she spun around, leading her sister out of the office.

Hitsugaya sat down in his chair, ruffling through the papers on his desk. He glanced up, feeling Matsumoto's eyes on him. "What?"

"What was that all about?" she asked, gesturing at the doorway.

"She thinks I work too hard," he replied, returning his attention to his desk.

"I've been saying that for fifty years, taicho," Matsumoto said with a singsongy voice. "Does that mean you only listen to Karin-chan?"

"That is not what that means," Hitsugaya answered hotly. "If I don't leave, she'll just come down and bother me, and then I won't get any work done. I might as well leave early and save us both the trouble."

Matsumoto snickered, moving back to her own desk. Hitsugaya ignored her.

* * *

"We could find you a separate futon later, if you want," Karin told Yuzu, opening the door to her room, "but for now you'll have to share with me."

Yuzu walked in, looking around the room. "That's okay," she answered, setting her bag in a corner. "It'll be just like when we were little!"

Karin set her bag down as well, opening it and taking out some of the posters. A slip of paper fluttered to the ground, and she realized in horror what it was. Unfortunately, Yuzu was faster than her, and Karin inwardly groaned when she picked it up.

Yuzu smiled. "I remember this picture! Poor thing had to handle your mood swings."

"What do you mean?" Karin asked.

"You would get_ so_ mad sometimes. You would say you were mad at him, but really, I think you were angry with yourself. You tried to rip this up so many times, but you could never bring yourself to do it." She paused, gazing at the photos. "You look so happy."

Karin looked at the pictures as well. She_ did_ look happy.

The hand holding the picture slip suddenly started to shake. Karin glanced at Yuzu, but she just smiled back, the smile not reaching her eyes. Yuzu placed the photo in Karin's hands, ignoring the question in Karin's eyes.

"You really do need a trim, Karin-chan," she piped up, reaching in her bag for her scissors. "The cut's a little jagged."

Karin knew something was bothering Yuzu, but decided not to push her. "I'm sorry for not being able to cut my own hair," she answered snidely.

Yuzu rolled her eyes, pushing her sister down next to the futon Karin was too lazy to put away. "I'll fix it for you."

For a while, it was silent, save the snipping of the scissors. Then, the snipping started to slow, and finally stopped altogether. "Karin-chan?" Yuzu whispered.

Karin turned slightly so she could see her sister's face.

"Remember when I told you that I wasn't coming here for you?"

Karin must have looked slightly confused, because Yuzu backtracked. "I did come to Soul Society because I love you," she said quickly. "That just wasn't the only reason."

"Oh, so I was just the excuse," Karin joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

Her comment had the opposite effect. Yuzu's lower lip began to tremble.

Karin turned around fully then. "I was just kidding, Yuzu!" she exclaimed.

Yuzu sniffled. "But it's true." She looked away. "I did use you as an excuse."

"Yuzu, what are you talking about?"

Yuzu slowly let out a breath in an effort to halt her tears. "Jinta-kun broke up with me," she said quietly.

Karin's head swam with questions. Where had she heard that name before?

Despite her efforts, the tears came. At first only a few escaped, but soon they were streaming down Yuzu's face. "He told me that he realized how much he loved Ururu. That he still loved me, but he just wasn't_ in_ love with me."

The red-headed boy Karin had met earlier that day suddenly popped into her head. _"Just tell her I'm sorry, okay?"_ he had told her. And she had spontaneously become furious, even though she had no idea why. Her subconscious must have understood what he was saying, even if _she_ hadn't at the time.

Her fury returned with a vengeance. "That _bastard_!" she seethed.

"That's why I didn't want to go through the senkaimon," Yuzu sobbed. "We would have had to go to Urahara-san's, and then I would have had to see _him_." She gulped in air. "I thought we would be together forever," she wailed.

Karin wrapped her arms around her sister comfortingly. "I know," she said, even though she didn't. It didn't really matter what she said, though. Yuzu just needed someone to listen.

"We've been together since I was eleven. Eight years! Eight years, and he throws it away like it all meant nothing to him!"

Karin thought of Jinta, of the look on his face when he talked to her. Desperation. Pain. "It meant something, Yu," she replied, patting her back. "He's hurting too."

"Good!" Yuzu spat, before covering her mouth in horror. "What is _wrong_ with me?" she sobbed. "I am a horrible person. No wonder he dumped me."

"_Never_, Yuzu." Karin pulled back, forcing her sister to look her in the eye. "You are the sweetest person I know. It's okay to feel this way. You're only human."

Yuzu hiccuped, her hysteria lessening. "I was going to marry him," she said quietly. "I decided on our fifteenth birthday. I wanted to have a double wedding with you. In the winter, because I knew that that was Toshiro-kun's favorite season."

Karin blinked. When Yuzu's sentence sunk in, her eyes widened. "That wedding wouldn't have happened anyway. Toshiro has a girlfriend."

Yuzu looked at her blankly.

"He _has a girlfriend_, Yuzu!" Karin stressed.

"You know what Matsumoto-san told me?" Yuzu replied slowly. "That Toshiro-kun had a date with his 'girlfriend' today, but he didn't go. I wonder where he was?"

"Yuzu," Karin cut in, seeing where this was going. "I think that reuniting a family is more important than one little date. I'm sure Hinamori understood."

Yuzu smiled, and this time her whole face lit up. "Matsumoto-san said that Hinamori-san came looking for him earlier today. He hadn't even told her that he had left. And they were supposed to visit their granny, Karin-chan! Their _granny_!"

Karin suddenly thought of all the times Hitsugaya seemed to forget his dates when she was around. Her heart fluttered in her chest.

"You say he has a girlfriend. Does _he _know that?" Yuzu asked smugly.

Karin had nothing to say to that, but luckily she heard the front door open and close. She gave Yuzu a look that clearly said _drop it_ just as Hitsugaya stopped in her doorway.

"I'm home," he said flatly.

"Good," Karin replied. It was silent, but Karin was sure she was the only one feeling awkward.

Hitsugaya's teal eyes scanned the room. A snowy eyebrow rose. "What are you guys doing?"

"I'm trimming her hair," Yuzu piped up. "It was kind of uneven."

He nodded slightly, leaning against the doorframe. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "I can make you something if you're hungry."

"Oh, no, no, thank you, Toshiro-kun!" Yuzu replied, surprised he had offered. "I think that I'll wash up and go to bed."

She walked to her bag, hurriedly pulled out a few things, and headed towards the bathroom, giving Karin a wink on the way out. Karin sighed inwardly.

It was just her and Hitsugaya now. She was surprised that he hadn't left yet, but he was still in her doorway, not looking at her.

"Thank you," she said, feeling the need to break the silence.

His eyes shifted to her. "For what?"

"For everything," Karin replied, appalled that he had to ask. "You didn't have to let me stay with you, but you did, and Yuzu too."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It makes you happy."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"I draw the line at Yuzu, though." Hitsugaya smirked. "I don't think I can handle any more Kurosakis."

Karin grinned. "Yeah, we _are_ kind of brutal."

It was silent again, but the atmosphere was extremely different. It was as if there was a sort of electricity in the air.

Hitsugaya seemed to notice it too. He shifted uncomfortably, his aquamarine eyes never leaving hers. "It's been a long day. You should get some rest."

"Yeah." She looked away, her whole body tingling. When she looked up again, he was gone.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, What do you think? Let me know!~**


	21. Chapter 21

**Woooo! I finally had time to go to the library! Thanks for all the support, guys, I really appreciate it! I really didn't expect reviews to an author's note, but I guess you guys are great like that! ^_^**

**Okay, no more holdup. Hope you like!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I wouldn't have taken a two week break like Kubo. What the heck? I need my weekly Bleach!**

* * *

Karin's eyes popped open. It was dark, the moonlight coming through her window doing nothing to pierce the blackness. She turned her head, barely making out Yuzu's sleeping form in the darkness.

Suddenly, before she could even process why she was awake, a sharp pain went through her head, momentarily blinding her. She clutched her head in an effort to suppress the pain, but just as suddenly it was gone. Slightly scared, Karin laid perfectly still, willing the pain not to return. For a few moments, everything felt normal. Then, she was overcome by a wave of nausea. She scrambled out of the futon, barely making it to the bathroom before all of her dinner came back up.

She heaved violently, the force bringing tears to her eyes, holding on to the toilet for dear life. She didn't know how long she was there, her stomach contracting painfully, and it wasn't until a lull in the spasms that she noticed the cool hands touching her neck, holding her hair securely out of the way.

Karin turned slightly, catching a flash of his eyes before the bile crept up her throat again.

There was nothing left in her stomach now, but Hitsugaya wordlessly continued to hold her hair while she dry heaved. Finally, when she thought she couldn't handle any more, her body was silent. Exhausted, she rested her head on the cool porcelain.

Hitsugaya walked into the bathroom, handing her a glass of water. She hadn't noticed when he had left. Grateful, Karin took a big swig, swishing the water around her mouth to get rid of the nasty taste in her mouth. She spit it out.

"So." He was leaning against a wall, watching her gulp down the rest of the water.

Karin finally met his eyes again. "How long have you been here?"

"Pretty much since the beginning." He reached for the glass, filling it up with more water from the sink and handing it back to her.

Her gaze shifted to the glass in her hands guiltily. "Did I wake you?"

"No. I couldn't sleep."

She nodded slightly, sipping on the water.

"Do you feel better?" he asked. "I can take you to Fourth Division. Unohana-taicho can give you something."

She glanced at him again. His looked the way he always did, face impassive with a slight scowl, but now she could identify the worry in his eyes. "You...really like watermelon," she finally said.

Hitsugaya's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, _really_ like watermelon," she insisted. "I didn't believe how much until you ate four of them by yourself that one summer."

He was still looking at her strangely.

"When I was five," Karin continued, "I fell off of a swing and broke my arm. It hurt like hell, but I didn't cry at all. Yuzu cried enough for the both of us." She paused. "I thought that I was pretty badass with that cast."

Hitsugaya walked over to her. "So," he said slowly, "you remember."

She remembered the two of them, lying on the roof of her house and looking at the stars. She remembered the snowball fights her family would have in the wintertime. She remembered Ichigo and Rukia, sneaking kisses when they thought no one was looking.

But most of all, she remembered her love for _him_, and the pain that came along with it.

"It was probably your family," Hitsugaya hypothesized. "They sparked your memory, but it was a little much and your subconscious overloaded." He paused. "Either way, I want you to get checked out."

"It can wait until the morning, Toshiro." She gulped down the rest of the water, setting the glass on the counter and stepping around Hitsugaya and into the hallway.

"Where are you going?" He was behind her, whispering in the dark.

"I need time to think." She walked into the entry room, turning on a lamp and picking up the soccer ball that she had left on the floor the night before. "I need to straighten things out."

He nodded slightly, seemingly processing. "It's late. I'll come with you."

"No." No, he wouldn't help her thinking at all. If anything, his presence would cause her mind to become even more jumbled. "I need to be alone."

"Karin--"

"I'm Kurosaki Karin." It felt good to say, because before she had had the name, but not the life behind it. Now she had both. "I have made lesser criminals shit their pants. Besides, what lunatic would mess with a Kurosaki? I'll be fine."

She could see it in his eyes. He was willing to fight her on this. Hitsugaya was as stubborn, if not more so, than she. She knew he would probably let her go out alone, but then follow her, hiding his reiatsu.

"Don't." She could hear it, the desperation in her own voice. She must have looked pretty pitiful, because Hitsugaya took a step back in defeat.

Karin opened the door, the cool wind ruffling her hair. "I'll be back," she promised quietly. She felt his cool gaze on the back of her head, but she did not turn around, choosing instead to take his silence as affirmation. Karin walked into the night, shutting the door firmly behind her.

She must have played for hours.

She had automatically walked to the field where she and Hitsugaya frequently played, near the edge of the Ninth Division, and was reminded too much of him. She quickly turned around and went in the opposite direction, ending up somewhere in Eleventh.

It looked like the field she was in used to be something else, like a building, but something or someone had knocked it down, leaving one long wall and a barren field with minimal grass. Karin didn't care. It served her purposes, and she kicked the ball, repeatedly and violently, into the wall.

She enjoyed burning in her lungs, the feeling of sweat as it dripped down her body, the fire in her legs. Now that she remembered her life before she died, she knew that she had always been that way. Soccer heightened her senses, forced her body to its limit. And, most of all, it helped her focus.

A few hours of running around and she was much more calm, much more aware.

She had loved Hitsugaya Toshiro since she was twelve. Also since she was twelve, he had been giving her mixed signals. It was at her brother's wedding that she decided to give up on Hitsugaya, and that was also the day she was hit by a car.

Karin laughed humorlessly. She had never dreamed she would die in such a lame way! Being kidnapped and killed for refusing to give out top secret information? Karin-esque. Getting publicly dumped and then run over by some old lady who probably didn't realize that she hit something? Not so much.

A giggling could be heard in her head, a familiar melodic voice. Karin stopped dribbling the ball, wondering if it was a figment of her imagination or if she was officially going insane.

_"It's just me, silly."_

Okay, she was officially going insane.

_"You're not crazy. It's me."_

Oh. Fennikusu, her zanpakuto. She had forgotten about her amidst the drama that was becoming her life.

_"How could you forget about me? I am you. You are me."_

_"I'm sorry,_" she thought, finding it strange to have a conversation with herself. "I_ just remembered who I was before I died. Give me a break._"

There was another elated giggle. "_And now you're playing soccer to try not to think about _him_? Why would you want to do that?_"

"_Because I remember that I had decided to give up on him, and why, and I'm starting to think that I was right the first time."_

The giggling stopped. Her head was silent. Then, "_what?_"

"_He's no good for me. It's not worth it._"

Silence again. Then, Fennikusu responded, so quietly that she sounded far away.

"_You don't know what's good for you_."

"I think that I do," Karin said out loud. "And he is clearly not it."

She waited for the zanpakuto's retort, but nothing came.

"Oh, so now you're not talking to me? How old are we?!"

"What are you doing?" a voice asked from behind her. Karin jumped, surprised, and turned around.

She was met by a little girl, who looked no older than ten. Her shoulder-length hair was cotton candy pink, and her chocolate brown eyes looked at Karin questioningly.

Karin inwardly sighed, slightly embarrassed. "I was playing soccer."

The girl grinned. "Ooo! I love games!"

Karin forced a smile. "It's late. What are you doing out here?"

The girl visibly brightened. "I was at Byakushi's house! We had a tea party, but then he told me to go home, and I didn't want to, so I ran and hid! It was like hide and seek. But Byakushi gave up, and that was no fun, so now I'm going home!"

Karin nodded feebly as the words rushed out of the girl's mouth. It was as if they couldn't get out of there fast enough.

"Hey!" the girl interrupted herself. "You're Whitey-chan's girlfriend! I remember, because I saw the picture in his office once. He wouldn't come out to play with me. Whitey-chan is so grumpy sometimes."

Hitsugaya again. The guy just couldn't leave her be! "That's Hinamori Momo. I'm Kurosaki Karin."

The girl's face scrunched up. "No, it wasn't Bun-head, it was you. Whitey-chan was looking at the picture, and then he noticed me and put it in a drawer. Big Booby later told me it was his girlfriend from the human world."

She had no idea how long ago this was, but at this point Karin didn't care. She was mentally tired.

"Hey, did you say Kurosaki?" the girl squealed. "Does that mean you're Ichi's sister?"

Karin nodded slightly.

The girl giggled. "I love Ichi! Ken-chan always has so much fun when he visits!"

The girl's peppiness was ruining Karin's sour mood. "I have to get going now, it's really late. You'll make it home okay?"

The girl laughed. "Of course! See you later, Ichishiro!"

Karin blinked at the name, but didn't bother correcting her. She turned in the direction of Tenth Division and started walking.

* * *

**A/N: What'd you think? Let me know. ^_^**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! Sorry about the wait; I was getting caught up with school. Not only that, I'm starting to get caught up with my reserve chapters. I like to keep a certain amount of pages on my computer that haven't been uploaded yet, because I tend to change my mind a lot, and I don't want errors and/or terrible plots uploaded. That way, I have time to mull over the direction things are going and change them if need be. I'm sorry if this bothers some of you; it's just that it's just that I haven't had time to write, and when I did, I had slight writer's block. Don't worry; it'll get better, I promise! ^_^**

**Now that that's out of the way, here you go!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I'm sure I would be rich.**

* * *

"Taicho!" Matsumoto said loudly, flouncing into the Tenth Division office. "Sorry I'm late, taicho! I was helping an old lady—" The words fell flat on her tongue.

This wasn't how things normally went. Usually, she would come in late, spouting a blatant lie, and Hitsugaya would rage at her, the cute little vein in his temple throbbing. Today, though, he hadn't even blinked at her arrival.

He looked like hell. His hair was much more disheveled than usual, and his teal eyes were rimmed red. He stared at the papers on his desk.

"Taicho," Matsumoto tried again, and was surprised when Hitsugaya jumped at the sound. He glanced at her, sleep deprivation obvious. "...Are you okay, taicho?" she asked cautiously.

No, he was not okay. Hyourinmaru was restless, had been since last night, and that made him restless. He had no idea what was wrong with him.

He gone to bed after advising Karin to do the same, only to find a faint rumbling in his head. He was confused, as Hyourinmaru was never the talkative type, and very rarely made any noise at all. Therefore, as he stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep, he tried to decipher what the zanpakuto wanted.

Hyourinmaru would not respond to anything he was asked, and the rumbling continued. It almost sounded...as if he was purring. Content. Why, Hitsugaya didn't know, but he felt that his whole body was on edge, anticipating something.

Suddenly, after hours of noise in his head, the purring stopped.

_"What is it?"_ Hitsugaya had asked for the umpteenth time.

"_She is here,"_ Hyourinmaru had answered, much to Hitsugaya's surprise.

_"Who is here?"_ He had asked in vain. Hyourinmaru would only repeat the same thing over and over: _she is here. She is here._

And then he had the urge to go somewhere. He had no idea where, but his body moved, as if being pulled by a magnet. He had stopped in the hallway, in front of the bathroom, where Karin was leaning over the toilet, retching.

As if by instinct, he walked over and pulled her hair back.

Hyourinmaru was quiet.

It had turned out that Karin had gotten her memory back. She seemed strange, restless, wanting to go away and think, and something inside of him didn't want to let her.

He knew that she would be fine; Karin was much tougher than people gave her credit for. But something inside of him just didn't want to let her leave. It was the oddest thing—it wasn't as if she wasn't coming back. But as she stepped outside, he felt the distance between them. And when she shut the door, it felt like she was leaving him.

And then Hyourinmaru growled. Deep, menacing. Why, Hitsugaya wasn't sure, but he had growled all night, and he continued to growl, even as Matsumoto watched him with worried eyes.

"Taicho?" Matsumoto asked again.

He saw no point in mentioning it to Matsumoto when he himself didn't know what was wrong with him.

"I'm fine, Matsumoto. I just didn't sleep well last night."

She nodded, giving him one last look before heading to her desk behind the shoji doors.

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know why the thought of Karin leaving bothered him so much. It wasn't like she was forced to stay with him, especially now that all of her family was coming to Soul Society. She could do what she wanted.

The growling got louder, making Hitsugaya cringe.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Karin groaned, sitting up in her futon. She could tell from the light that poured through her window that she had easily slept into the afternoon, but she still felt tired. Her sleep had been restless, even though she had trudged back to Hitsugaya's exhausted.

She had half expected Hitsugaya to still be standing where she left him, waiting for her return. But the entry room was dark, and Hitsugaya was nowhere to be seen. Karin had closed the door quietly behind her, and headed to her room, plopping on her futon next to Yuzu.

Now, she was grudgingly awake, and adequately disoriented. She rolled out of the futon, noticing Yuzu's absence, and opened the door to the hallway.

She found Yuzu in the entry room, dusting.

"Yuzu," Karin said, her voice hoarse from sleep. "What are you doing?"

Yuzu turned her head, her long hair fanning around her. "Oh! The sleepyhead's up!" she replied happily. "I'm just doing some cleaning. It's the least I can do, since Toshiro-kun's being so nice about everything."

"You really don't need to." Karin sat down on a couch, hugging her knees. "Think of it as repayment for that time he stayed at our place."

Yuzu "mmm"-ed slightly, continuing to dust, before suddenly dropping the duster and turning sharply to Karin. "You remember that?" she asked in wonder.

Karin nodded. "My memory's back."

Yuzu squealed, wrapping her arms around Karin's neck. Karin patted her back, looking at her sister's face when she felt moisture creeping down her neck. "Don't cry, Yu."

Yuzu sniffled, smiling widely. "I can't help it. I'm so happy! It'll be just like before, with you, and me, and daddy, and nii-chan, and Rukia-nee!"

"And everyone else." Karin grinned. She was happy that Yuzu was happy, but she couldn't help being sarcastic. She wouldn't be herself if she wasn't.

Yuzu let Karin out of the hug, the light slightly fading from her eyes. "No," she said quietly. "Not everyone. Not Jinta. Not Ururu."

"Aw, Yuzu, forget about that dickhead what's his face," Karin retorted, ruffling Yuzu's hair. "I know I have. Believe me, Yu, it's better this way. There are a lot of hotties up here in Soul Society."

"Like Toshiro-kun?" Yuzu asked, winking.

_How does this girl go from depressed to matchmaker in two seconds flat?_ Karin thought incredulously. "You can have him." And she meant it, because during the process of regaining her memories, Karin had made up her mind. She was going to wean herself off of Hitsugaya.

They would stay friends, of course. Something in her just wouldn't let the thought of being around him go. His presence was such a part of her, _he_ was such a part of her, that putting too much distance between them would only hurt her in the long run.

It would be simple enough. Yes, she lived in his house, but they had two separate rooms and she could spend as much time in hers as need be.

She could stop hanging out in the Tenth Division office every day. Granted, Hitsugaya wasn't the only reason that she went there. Seireitei was boring during the day, and days spent in the office never failed to be entertaining. Not only that, she and Matsumoto had come to be good friends.

Whatever her reasons, Karin did not need to go _every_ day. Every other day would suffice. Maybe only a couple times a week. She really needed to get a life.

Anything, to make herself stop being ridiculous. To fall out of love with him.

Yuzu seemed unaware of the internal monologue that she had sparked in her twin. "I know you don't really mean that." She stood up, leaning to pick up the duster that she had dropped, but suddenly froze. "I nearly forgot! Speaking of Toshiro-kun, I made him and Matsumoto-san lunch. Can you show me how to get to the office, Karin-chan? It really is the least I can do."

_You have _got_ to be kidding me!_ "Sure, Yuzu," Karin answered tiredly. "Just let me get dressed."

Yuzu smiled sweetly back. Shaking her head at how utterly pathetic she was, Karin headed for their bedroom.

After a quick scan of her closet, Karin slipped into an indigo tank top and a pair of black running shorts that ended mid-thigh. She combed though her tousled hair with her fingers, taking a good look at it in the mirror. Yuzu had done a good job, and had even given her slight side bangs. She actually looked kind of...pretty.

Karin scoffed at herself, gathering her hair up into a small ponytail. The bangs refused to be held, falling back down and framing her face. Not caring, Karin exited the room, returning to the entry room where Yuzu awaited.

Yuzu looked pretty as always. She wore a white sundress that was sporadically dusted with tiny seafoam-green dots. Her long hair still sported the strawberry clip, keeping her bangs out of the way. She looked up when Karin entered.

"Let's go," Karin told her, pulling on her sneakers.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know what you thought! Press the pretty button! ^_^**


	23. Chapter 23

**Yes! Update! Whoop whoop! ^_^ So, I've recently been reading over this entire story, and I realized how much I loved it and, to put it simply, Stella got her groove back. The only problem now is when I can find time to write-the plotline has been in my head forever, and now I'm constantly thinking about it. Hopefully, I will be able to update sooner now, but seeing as midterms are coming up, I can't make any promises.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, Ulquihime would be freaking canon, because Ulquiorra is a smexy beast. (It's almost been a full year since Ulquiorra "died"-I wish Kubo would bring him back already...because I'm convinced he will.)**

* * *

They both stepped outside, and Karin shut the door behind her, not bothering to lock it. The door was never locked, as a person had to be pretty stupid to try to steal from Hitsugaya Toshiro, let alone a captain.

By now, she could find the Tenth Division office with her eyes closed. Yuzu followed, amazed by the wonders of Soul Society.

When Karin finally reached the office, she paused slightly, preparing herself. Then she led Yuzu inside.

Hitsugaya's desk was empty, but Matsumoto sat at hers, leaning back in her chair. Karin let out a breath of relief, but Yuzu pouted.

"I made you lunch, Rangiku-san," she told her, running over to place the bento on her desk.

Matsumoto's eyes lit up as she gazed at Yuzu's food. "Thank you, Yuzu-chan!" she squealed, digging in right away. She mumbled an enthusiastic greeting to Karin around the food.

"Where's Toshiro-kun?" Yuzu asked, pouting again. "I made him one too. He's been so giving, I thought that I could give something back."

Matsumoto looked up again from the bento, a grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth. "Taicho had a captain's meeting. Ichigo's coming into his position today, and they're working out the kinks."

Karin blinked. "Wait, Ichii-nii's _here_? And he's becoming a captain _today_?"

Matsumoto nodded, shoveling more food into her mouth. "Your dad too, I think," she added.

"That was quick," Karin retorted.

"Well, the captaincy spot has been waiting for your brother ever since he killed Aizen seven years ago." Matsumoto finished the bento, sighing happily. "He was really protective of you guys, and for a while he wouldn't even consider taking the spot. And then, just when Rukia had finally gotten him to agree, you died, Karin-chan, and he refused to leave Yuzu-chan."

Karin was surprised that her death had affected her brother so much. They were close, sure, and he had always been excessively protective of Yuzu and herself, but Ichigo had also always been the type to not let anything get in the way of what he wanted. For him to drop everything and guard Yuzu, he must have really been scared.

"Oh, onii-chan," Yuzu sighed, obviously feeling guilty.

"Don't worry, Yuzu," Karin reassured her sister. "It's not your fault. If anything, it's mi—"

Suddenly, an unknown feeling overcame Karin. It was as if she were hyperaware of everything around her, and she found herself focusing on a familiar energy.

Yuzu and Matsumoto stared at her, unbeknownst to Karin, wondering what had caused her sudden silence.

Karin sensed the energy getting closer, and the closer it got, the more elated she seemed to feel. She had no idea what was going on, and she sure as hell had no idea why she was responding the way she was.

A low giggle was heard in her head. Then, the door to the office opened, and Hitsugaya hurried into the room, looking slightly out of breath.

Oh. _Oh_. It was _him_ that she had felt coming. She hadn't known that she could recognize his reiatsu so easily, track him so vividly, when she could hardly detect her family.

Another giggle. _Goddamn giggling zanpakuto_, she thought, but Fenikkusu just giggled more. And Karin's mood did not cease; she felt ridiculously happy that Hitsugaya was near her. She vaguely wondered if her zanpakuto's mood could rub off on her as her onyx eyes met aquamarine.

"The ceremony's starting," he said breathlessly, his eyes seeming to linger on her as he addressed Yuzu as well. "It's too late for your dad, but if we hurry, we can see your brother's induction."

Yuzu squealed, and Matsumoto was up in a second, grabbing Yuzu by the wrist. "We have no time to lose, Yuzu-chan!" she said loudly, practically throwing the smaller girl on her back as she shunpoed out of sight. Yuzu squealed again, her voice getting farther away as Matsumoto ran.

It was silent after the two left, and Karin stood there awkwardly. Why did this always happen to her?

Hitsugaya seemed at a lost for words as well, and, to rid the air of the tension, Karin took it upon herself to start the conversation. "Yuzu made you lunch. It's over there if you want it."

Hitsugaya nodded slightly. It was then that Karin noticed that his hair was more disheveled than usual, and that he looked like the walking dead. It was obvious that he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

"You look like shit," Karin blurted. As soon as she said it, she could have smacked herself. Did her brain not have a filter?

"Thanks," he answered curtly. His expression softened slightly, and he walked closer to her, almost cautiously. "We'd better get going if you want to see your brother inducted."

She nodded, making to walk past him and out the doorway, but his hand caught her elbow. Her skin tingled at the contact.

"We won't make it," Hitsugaya told her. "It would be faster if I carried you."

Karin was still staring at the hand on her elbow. "What?"

Hitsugaya walked in front of her, squatting slightly. "Get on."

Karin hesitated, but wrapped her arms around his neck. He stood, grabbing her legs securely, and without another word, they were off.

* * *

Hitsugaya Toshiro sprinted across rooftops. Although he was obviously sleep-deprived, he was wide awake.

The growling in his head had stopped, and after hearing it all night and all morning, the sudden silence made him excessively alert, on edge.

Carrying Karin didn't help. She had plastered her body to his in an unnecessary attempt not to fall, and every nerve in his body felt it. Not only that, Karin had chosen to wear ridiculously short shorts today, and his hands were dangerously close to her bare thighs.

Hitsugaya was not stupid. He realized now that Hyourinmaru's ridiculous moods were somehow connected to the girl on his back. What he didn't know was why Karin seemed to have such an enormous effect on him.

* * *

He had run to the First Division with top speed, and made the trip with ease. Relieved, he knelt down slightly so that Karin could jump down. She did, but once on her feet wobbled, and would have fallen had Hitsugaya not caught her.

"You opened your eyes," he stated flatly, hands keeping her steady at the waist.

Karin scowled, her hands on his arms for support. Once she regained her balance, she stepped away, quickly putting distance between them. "I thought it would be different this time," she retorted. "All those other times, I was a kid."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You thought aging would change your eyes for the better?"

Karin's face had already been slightly pink, and the hue was only continuing to deepen. "Shut up," was all she could think to say. "Where are we going?"

Hitsugaya stared at her a moment longer before walking to a building on Karin's right. "The ceremony's being held here, where captains have their meetings."

"Well, let's get on with it then," she snapped, brushing past him to open the door.

His hand caught hers, and she froze in surprise.

"It's technically against the rules for you to be in here, but Yamamoto-soutaicho is making an exception," he told her, avoiding eye contact. "You have to be unnoticeable. Take your place by Matsumoto and don't talk."

Karin nodded, still unnerved by his touch. Apparently satisfied, Hitsugaya opened the door and led her through the doorway.

The hallway was long, or so it seemed to Karin. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her breathing was slightly shallowed.

Hitsugaya hadn't let go of her hand.

_They were holding hands._

Karin knew it was wrong, knew that she was only making it harder for herself—but it just felt so _natural_, her hand in his. And Hitsugaya hadn't let go either, so she wasn't going to be the one who ruined the moment.

The end of the corridor approached, and two figures, leaning against the wall, came into focus. One was a tall man with flaming red hair and tribal tattoos. His head was cocked downward in order to talk to the other person, a petite girl with a bun on her head. The girl laughed at something the man said, but her smile fell as she saw Karin and Hitsugaya approach.

Karin dropped Hitsugaya's hand.

Hitsugaya looked vaguely surprised, as if he hadn't realized he was still holding her hand. He blinked, then turned his attention to the shinigami in the hallway. "Hinamori. Abarai."

"Hitsugaya-taicho," they responded in unison, standing a little straighter.

Hitsugaya nodded slightly, opening the door slowly and walking inside. Karin followed, but not before braving a look at the girl behind her.

Hinamori looked visibly upset, her eyes meeting Karin's gaze and narrowing.

Karin turned, Fenikkusu's melodic laughter ringing in her head.

* * *

**A/N: What'd you think? Please review! You guys make my day! ^_^**


	24. Chapter 24

**Wow, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much for the reviews! ^_^ And it's a miracle! I'm still on a roll! I might not have as much time to write soon, but I'm always thinking, and at least now I'm more sure of the direction I want this story to take.**

**Hmmm, I guess I don't have anything else to say. Hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I wouldn't keep putting out short, and therefore completely crap chapters. Seriously, Kubo, WTF?!**

* * *

Matsumoto, Yuzu, and Rukia were all standing in a corner. Karin moved towards them as Hitsugaya went to stand in between Hisagi and Kenpachi.

Rukia gave her a smile. "You just made it," she said so quietly that Karin almost didn't hear her, despite their proximity. Karin turned her attention to the front of the room.

Ichigo was kneeling between the lines of captains, a really old man mumbling words over him. Isshin, Karin noticed, was standing off to the side, a newly acquired white haori billowing out behind him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," the old man suddenly bellowed, making both Karin and Yuzu jump. "Stand."

Ichigo stood, and a French-butler looking shinigami handed him a folded white haori. Ichigo shrugged it on, the number five blazing on his back, and, to Karin's surprise, both rows of captains bowed to him.

"You are dismissed," the old man boomed, and the perfect posture the captains had had began to crumble.

Karin watched as many captains began to congratulate her brother, first a sickly looking man with white hair, then a woman whose long hair was braided around her neck. Finally, seemingly trying to escape a tall, threatening captain with an eyepatch, Ichigo made his way over to their little corner.

"Onii-chan! I'm so proud of you!" Yuzu squealed, wrapping her arms around Ichigo's midsection. Ichigo grinned.

"I think that we need to celebrate!" Matsumoto piped up. "Drinks on me!"

"If I didn't know better, Rangiku-san," Ichigo smirked, "I would think that you were using me as an excuse to get drunk."

"It's a good thing you know better then, isn't it?" Matsumoto laughed.

Rukia shook her head, smiling. "Don't let it go to your head, Ichigo."

Ichigo grinned. "Too late. Did you see your stuck-up brother bowing to me?"

Rukia punched him hard in the arm. "It's tradition, you baka."

"He still did it," Ichigo replied cheekily, leaning down and capturing Rukia's lips with his own. For a few seconds, Rukia responded to the kiss. Then, she roughly pushed Ichigo away.

"You are officially a captain now, and we are both on duty," she said authoritatively. "Such behavior is unorthodox."

He scoffed. "Since when do I follow the rules?"

Rukia looked at him in distain. "The soutaicho's right over there, bakamono!"

Ichigo shrugged, before leaning closer to Rukia again and saying huskily, "Are you going to punish me?"

"OH MY GOD, ICHIGO!" Karin screeched, having had enough. "CAN YOU CONTROL YOUR HORMONES FOR TWO SECONDS? WE'RE STANDING _RIGHT HERE_!"

Ichigo straightened again, looking only slightly embarrassed. Matsumoto burst out laughing, and Yuzu, having completely missed the innuendo seconds before, wondered what all the fuss was about. Just then, Isshin bounded over, crushing Ichigo in a bear hug.

"Dad!" Ichigo yelled, trying desperately to free himself. "We're in public!"

"And I'm not allowed to hug my only son?" Isshin demanded, seemingly holding on tighter.

"Dad, we're both captains now, and on duty," Ichigo replied with a straight face. "Such behavior is unorthodox."

Isshin stared at him blankly for a second. Then, with a goofy look on his face, he exclaimed, "KUROSAKI GROUP HUG!!"

Karin suddenly found herself in the middle of a massive group hug, Isshin having pulled them all into it with insane speed. Ichigo struggled from the center, Rukia sighed, her elbow accidently lodged in Karin's ribcage, and Yuzu partook in the hug willingly, one of her arms wrapped around Karin, one around Rukia. Although Karin was near the outer ring, someone stood behind her, blocking her escape.

"Matsumoto," a cool voice said. Although she couldn't see him, Karin knew exactly who it was.

"Yes, taicho?' Matsumoto answered, apparently the person blocking Karin into the hug.

"What are you doing?"

Karin could hear the grin in Matsumoto's voice. "Kurosaki group hug, taicho! You should join us!"

The irritation in Hitsugaya's voice was obvious. "Neither you or I are Kurosakis, Matsumoto."

Matsumoto stepped back, allowing Karin to finally exit the monstrosity of a hug. She pouted. "You're no fun, taicho."

"Oh, nonsense, my boy!" Isshin bellowed. Everyone, except poor Ichigo, had managed to get out of the hug by now. Said strawberry struggled against the chokehold his father had him in. "As much as you used to be around, you're a part of this family too."

Ichigo stopped his struggling. "Wait, what?"

Isshin rambled on, apparently not noticing the warning glances Karin was shooting him. "I always thought of you as a son-in-law anyway. Just be careful with that one." He nodded at Karin. "She's feisty."

Karin's mouth dropped open in mortification. She couldn't even fathom looking in Hitsugaya's direction. She didn't want to know. Wasn't this the part where the ground opened up and swallowed her whole? "_Dad__!_"

"What!?" Ichigo yelled, becoming increasingly frustrated.

"Don't 'what' me. I want grandkids," Isshin told Ichigo nonchalantly, "and you're still not giving them to me. I need to secure other options."

Almost as if pulled by a string, Karin's fist collided with her father's jaw, making a sickening crack. She had never been so mad at him in her life. She was sure that her face was beet red by now. "You old perv!" she shouted. "I'm only seventeen!"

"Nineteen," Yuzu added helpfully.

"Nineteen!" Karin corrected herself.

"Actually, she died when she was only seventeen, Yuzu-chan," Matsumoto piped in. "So technically, even though you're nineteen, Karin-chan's only seventeen, in human-life years anyway."

Yuzu's eyes lit up. "Wait, does this mean I'm the older twin now?"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Ichigo bellowed, finally breaking free of his father's grip. He stomped over to Hitsugaya, who, Karin noticed, looked completely nonplussed, save the pink tips of his ears. "_You_," he hissed, finger in Hitsugaya's face. "Stay away from my sister."

Hitsugaya returned Ichigo's fiery gaze with his cool one. "I will not," he responded icily, "unless she asks me to." He turned towards Isshin. "And I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san, but you're going to have to give up on grandchildren. Souls can't reproduce."

Isshin didn't respond, cradling his quickly bruising jaw.

Ichigo made to step towards Hitsugaya again, murder in his eyes, but Rukia grabbed him, her small hand securely holding his wrist in a vice grip. "Ichigo," she barked, her tone demanding compliance.

Sensing danger, Ichigo backed down, his shoulders slumping slightly in defeat. The fury his amber eyes held was still visible, however.

Karin smirked. _He is _sooo_ whipped!_ she thought, shaking her head slightly at her pathetic brother, but happy the focus was no longer on her.

She blinked as she saw the red-headed man from the hallway, who she now recognized as Ichigo's friend Renji, walk up to her brother and clap him on the back. Ichigo's expression completely shifted from murderous to prideful as he matched his friend's grin.

"Jealous?" Ichigo taunted, his grin widening cockily.

"Pssht. You wish," Renji shot back. "If I wanted your position, I could have it. I could take you right now."

Ichigo smirked. "Is that a challenge?"

Renji's rebuttal fell on deaf ears, because at that moment, Karin realized something. If Renji was allowed in the room then--

"Hello, everyone." Hinamori Momo appeared behind Renji, smiling prettily. She turned to Ichigo, bowing deeply. "It's a pleasure to be working under you, Kurosaki-taicho."

Ichigo scratched his head, slightly embarrassed. "I'm sure we we'll work well together," he said, smiling slightly. "I'm going to need your help for a little while, Hinamori. I'm new to this taicho stuff."

Hinamori smiled, bowing again. "Of course, taicho."

Ichigo shook his head. "You don't need to be so formal with me, Hinamori. 'Ichigo' is fine."

Hinamori's eyes widened, and she shook her head vigorously. "I-I couldn't, Kurosaki-taicho."

Ichigo shrugged. "We'll work on it," he replied. "Until then, I say we go out for dinner, since Rangiku-san's paying for drinks."

"Say what?" Matsumoto piped up.

"Oh, don't try that, now, Rangiku-san." Ichigo smirked. "I've got witnesses."

"Oh poo." Matsumoto pouted. "Well, let's go. I'm going to need a lot of sake to forget how much I'm going to spend."

"How about we meet there?" Rukia replied. "Ichigo and I...have something that we have to discuss."

"Huh?" Ichigo looked at her, clearly confused.

"You know, that thing we have to talk about," Rukia stressed. "In your new, _Nii-sama-free_ captain's quarters?"

_I think I just threw up a little_, Karin thought, blanching slightly.

"Rukia, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Dude," Renji said nonchalantly, "you're getting laid."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then, calmly, Rukia turned to her tattooed friend. "Tactful as ever, Renji."

"The dumbshit wasn't going to get it otherwise, Rukia," he replied, an eyebrow raised.

"Wait." Ichigo looked like a kid on Christmas. "Really?"

Rukia shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder why I didn't just go along with that arranged marriage," she muttered to herself, focusing her attention on the group again. "Let's meet at the restaurant near the fourth district."

"Ooh! Shiro-chan and I go there all the time!" Momo piped up excitedly. "They have great food!"

"It's settled then," Rukia replied. "Come on, baka."

Ichigo smugly allowed himself to be dragged out of the building, and Isshin did an elaborate happy jig, once again babbling about grandchildren.

"Oh my," Yuzu peeped.

"It officially hurts to admit that I'm a part of this family," Karin announced.

Matsumoto laughed, enjoying every minute of it, and Renji looked bored. The corners of Hitsugaya's mouth, Karin noticed with a grin, quirked slightly upward.

"Are you smiling at me, Hitsugaya Toshiro?" she taunted.

The corners completely dropped, now forming an almost scowl. "No," he said bluntly.

"I don't know," Karin responded, closing the gap between them with a few steps. "That looked like a smile to me."

"It did kind of look like a smile, taicho," Matsumoto piped up.

"I was _not_ smiling," Hitsugaya snapped.

"I told you didn't I?" She pushed his cheeks upwards like she had done years ago. "One day..."

His hands grabbed her wrists, presumably to get her off of him, but instead his intense gaze caught hers, the goofy, forced smile on his face.

On the other hand, Karin's smile faded. She could have retrieved her hands if she wanted to, but she just stared back, captivated, her gaze locked on his like a charmed snake.

A loud cough startled them both, and Hitsugaya released her.

"Aren't we supposed to be getting ready for dinner?" Hinamori asked, her voice a pitch higher than usual.

"Dinner," Hitsugaya repeated softly, almost as if his mind was elsewhere.

"Yes, dinner," Hinamori replied, her voice still too high. The smile on her face was clearly forced. "I sure am hungry."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, I do love Hinamori-related drama. ^_^**

**What'd you think? Press the pretty button and let me know!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Woot! Chapter 25 and over 400 reviews! I don't think I can express in words how much I love you guys. You really do brighten my day! ^_^**

**Hmmm, I don't really have much else to say, other than this took a little longer than I expected, especially since I knew beforehand how I wanted things to go. I guess it was a time thing. Enjoy!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would not even_ think _of going on any more breaks because SHIT IS FINALLY ABOUT TO GO DOWN! Anyone who is caught up with the manga is bouncing out of their seats like me. ;)**

* * *

He really had to stop doing that.

Karin probably thought that he was a nutcase, holding onto her and staring at her like that. It was only a few seconds at most, but that did not halt the possibility of him being perceived as a creeper.

In his defense, the moment Karin touched him, Hyourinmaru had begun that weird noise again, almost a purr. Hitsugaya was a little weirded out by it, and a lot fascinated, as this was the second time this had occurred, and an earlier touch by the older twin had silenced the beast in his head. He had stared at her, trying to use his supposedly spectacular brain to figure things out, and had Hinamori not said something, he probably would have kept staring.

Now, he watched as Karin drank a glass of water wearing only a towel. He had told her multiple times not to walk around the house like that, but seeing as Karin had no respect whatsoever for his authority, she never listened, and he had finally decided to save his breath. By now, anyway, she had done it so often that he barely bat an eye.

"So," she said, her wet hair splattering tiny droplets of water onto the floor. "What kind of restaurant is this? Is it fancy or...?"

"Not exactly." Her miniscule shorts danced in his head. "Just don't wear anything too casual."

She eyed him, taking another sip. "Nothing too casual," she repeated. "Is that what you're wearing?"

He involuntarily glanced down at himself, even though he knew exactly what he would see. "I'm a captain," he replied, lifting an edge of his haori for emphasis, "why wouldn't I wear this?"

Karin raised an eyebrow. "That's what you always wear, so wouldn't that be considered casual?"

"No," he answered bluntly. "Are you going to get ready or not?"

"I'm kind of putting it off," she admitted. "Yuzu's waiting for me in there. Who knows what she'll guilt me into wearing."

As if on cue, a loud "Karin-chan" was heard from the hallway. Karin groaned, setting her glass on the counter. "Wish me luck," she sighed, walking out into the entry room. She stopped suddenly, however, and, curious, Hitsugaya followed her.

Hinamori stood there, her hair out of its usual bun and flowing to her back. Like Hitsugaya, she still wore her shihakusho, but she had put on a pair of stud earrings.

"Hinamori-san," Karin greeted awkwardly, walking around the girl to her room.

It was silent. Then, Hitsugaya sighed. "Sorry about that. I've asked her many times not to walk around like that, but she doesn't listen to me. She never has."

Hinamori nodded once, slowly. A loud "Yuzu. No. No, no, no, _and did I mention NO?_" erupted from the hallway, and her gaze followed it. "Shiro-chan," she said quietly.

Hitsugaya, inwardly amused by the twins' antics, glanced at her in response.

"How long are they staying here?"

The question caught him off guard. For some reason, the thought hadn't occurred to him that the twins' stay was finite. His brows furrowed slightly. "A couple more weeks, I guess. Until the new semester."

Hinamori watched him, but didn't respond.

"Although, I guess they technically don't have to stay here anymore." His stomach knotted at that, but he ignored the feeling. "Now that their family is here, they have plenty of options."

Momo brightened slightly at that, and smiled at him.

* * *

Karin sighed. Despite her best efforts, Yuzu had gotten her to look..._girly_.

She was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, which in itself wasn't all too bad, but Yuzu paired it with a red skirt that ended a few inches above the knee and sheer black tights. She had no idea where Yuzu had gotten the skirt from, seeing as it didn't look like something she would buy for herself. As for the tights, Karin couldn't believe Yuzu had the audacity to sweet talk her into them! She hated tights. Plus, they required some sort of dress shoe, such as the heels Yuzu were trying to force on her.

"_No_, Yuzu."

Yuzu pouted prettily, but Karin was having none of it. She sighed. "You have to wear them, Karin-chan. You'll look funny without them."

"I don't care." Really, this was ridiculous. She prided herself in letting no one walk all over her, and yet in the hands of her twin she was putty. Mentally beating herself up, she pulled her tall, black combat boots and looked in the mirror.

She had managed to convince Yuzu to let her keep her signature ponytail, but Yuzu had put a strawberry clip, exactly like the one in her own honey locks, in her hair. Not only that, but she was even wearing _mascar__a_! She agreed that the eyes that stared back at her were pretty, dark irises surrounded by equally dark lashes, but she felt a sort of disconnect. The person in the mirror looked nice, but she certainly wasn't Kurosaki Karin.

Sighing, Karin looked at her twin. Yuzu's long hair hung free, and the pink dress she was wearing reminded Karin of the one Urahara had made for her gigai. She shuddered slightly. "Let's go, Yu. We're going to be late."

She opened the door and walked into the hallway. In the entry room, Hitsugaya's back was to her, but Hinamori, facing her turned at the sound. The smile on her face dropped and her eyes widened.

This, in turn, made Hitsugaya turn to see what she was looking at.

And suddenly, Karin felt extremely self conscious. The way he was looking at her--she really couldn't put her finger on the expression, but she felt like he could see through her.

Willing her stomach to stop doing somersaults, Karin walked into the room with the other two. "I know I look dumb," she said pointedly to Hitsugaya, "but I don't want to hear it. _Not one word_."

He looked appalled. "You don't look dumb."

Oh, those eyes again. Those cerulean orbs that demanded the attention of her own. They were breathtaking, those eyes, with their rich color and the delicate snowy lashes that surrounded them, but whenever they captured her gaze, it was impossible for her to look away.

Hitsugaya opened his mouth again, clearly about to elaborate, but Hinamori grabbed his hand. Both he and Karin looked at the clasped hands in surprise.

"We're going to be late," Hinamori said sweetly, interlacing her fingers with Hitsugaya's. "We'd better get going."

"Lead the way," Karin said, forcing a smile.

They all stepped outside, and Momo led with Hitsugaya, the twins following behind.

Karin had a hard time trying to squash the feeling in her gut. She tried not to, but her gaze kept wandering back to their hands. _I__ don't care, I don't care, I don't care..._

She felt Yuzu squeeze her own hand, and she glanced at her twin. Yuzu's eyes looked sad, but mostly were filled with pity. She was trying to comfort Karin, but that, for some reason, seemed to be the last straw. Her emotions, which before had been carefully locked up, seemed to bubble over, and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She continued walking, refusing to let them fall.

Suddenly, someone bumped into Yuzu, and papers went flying. Through the paper rain, Karin could see Hitsugaya stop and turn around, forcing Hinamori to do the same.

"Oh! Oh, I am _so_ sorry!" A small man squeaked. He was only slightly taller than Yuzu, and his beady blue eyes were widened in horror. He scrambled to his knees, hurriedly trying to collect the scattered papers.

"Oh no, it was my fault," Yuzu exclaimed, crouching down to help him. "I wasn't looking were I was going."

"Neither was I," he replied, looking at her through his shaggy black hair. "I was just trying to take these papers to Koetsu-fukutaicho, and I didn't see you."

"Oh!" Yuzu gasped, handing the man a pile of papers. "I am so sorry! I hope I haven't made you late!"

"Oh, don't worry about it. It was my fault," he said hurriedly, standing and offering a hand for Yuzu to do the same. "I just hope that I haven't made _you_ late."

Yuzu smiled. "Don't worry, we're just going to dinner."

The man blushed slightly in response, but smiled back. "Well, don't let me keep you. Thank you for your help." He bowed deeply, and Yuzu returned the gesture.

As Yuzu watched the man walk away, Karin linked her arm through hers. "He was nice, huh?" she asked Yuzu softly.

Yuzu didn't answer, a faraway look on her face.

* * *

**A/N: A little on the short side, I know, but it was a clean break here. Sorry! Please review anyway, let me know what you thought. ^_^**


	26. Chapter 26

**WOOT! An update! And it's pretty long, coming from me! We're on a roll! ^_^ Don't expect this to become habitual, though. My finals are coming up soon.**

**Anyway, thank you all so much for all of the reviews! I'm glad that you're all enjoying reading this fic as much as I am enjoying writing it. Not much else to say, so let's get on to dinner.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, it would, according to the way this fic is going, be an animated soap opera.**

* * *

They were a pretty big dinner party. The table, long and rectangular, made it easy enough to see everyone. Karin sat in between Rukia and Yuzu, but, sadly, across from Hitsugaya and Hinamori, a front row seat to whatever territorial bullshit Hinamori decided to subject her to. She sighed, picking at the meat on her plate.

"Kariiiiin-chaaaan," Matsumoto sang, "have some sake."

Yes. An excuse to not look at the couple in front of her. Of course, Matsumoto sat in between her father, who was at the head of the table, and the white-haired cause of her misery, but Karin desperately needed a distraction, stuck in an extremely uncomfortable situation in extremely uncomfortable clothes.

"That's okay, Rangiku-san," she replied. "I don't drink. Besides, I'm underage-I think."

"Nonsense!" Isshin crowed, happily taking the bottle from Matsumoto and pouring more into his cup. "Have some, Karin-chan! Have a little drinkey with daddy!"

Karin felt her eye begin to twitch, but she continued eating, restraining herself from jumping across the table and socking him. "You're my father. Aren't you supposed to prevent me from drinking this stuff?"

Isshin pouted. "You're no fun."

"I know, right?" Matsumoto whispered to him loudly, clearly drunk already. "I think she's been hanging around my stuck-up taicho too much. They need to learn how to live a little!"

Hitsugaya gave no inkling that he had heard his bubbly lieutenant, continuing to chat pleasantly with Hinamori, but Karin noticed a large vein popping out of his forehead.

"So," Ichigo started, taking a sip of his drink. He was unusually peppy, not even yelling about Isshin being a perverted old man, and Rukia seemed equally carefree. _Gross._ "The new semester of the academy starts in a little under two weeks. You guys will move into the dorms, but until then, you need somewhere to stay."

Rukia, seated beside him, piped up. "Well, I would give you guys my lieutenant's quarters, but I already promised them to Kiyone and Sentaro. However, you are more than welcome to stay in the Kuchiki Manor, if you would like."

Ichigo's eyes went wide, and he mouthed "_No_" to the twins over Rukia's head. Rukia, who apparently had excellent peripheral vision, smacked Ichigo beside his head and continued talking as if nothing had happened. "_We_ also have an extra room if you want it."

Karin immediately ruled that one out. She had spent a good portion of her life sleeping in a room next to the two horny teenagers; she really did not want to repeat this now that they were no longer teenagers, but still clearly horny.

"You can even stay with daddy!" Isshin bellowed, little stars appearing in his eyes.

Karin cringed. It wasn't that she didn't love her family. It was just...

Sighing, she looked down at the food on her plate.

"They could stay with me."

Karin's breath caught in her throat. Slowly, her eyes traveled up and met _his_. "What?" she asked, sure that she had heard incorrectly.

He shifted uncomfortably, his gaze still locked on hers, as Hinamori visibly tensed beside him and Matsumoto suddenly became very interested in the conversation. "You could stay with me."

Karin didn't say anything, and that seemed to throw Hitsugaya off. "You don't have to," he said quickly, "I just figured, your stuff is already there, so—"

"I'd love to," Karin blurted. She felt multiple pairs of eyes on her, and felt her cheeks burn in response. "I mean, I'd like that."

Karin grinned at him, and a corner of his mouth quirked up slightly, what Karin liked to call his "bullshit smile."

The table was completely silent, but neither Karin nor Hitsugaya noticed. Ichigo fidgeted, clearly wanting to say something but restraining himself, and Rukia patted his knee soothingly. Yuzu swallowed her squeal of glee, and Matsumoto, clearly entranced, openly stared, her chopsticks halted on their path to her mouth. Even Isshin watched as if it were all a fantastic television show.

Suddenly, a giggle erupted from Hinamori. The spectators turned their gaze to her. "That's wonderful," she said, smiling, "My Shiro-chan is always so thoughtful." And then, turning Hitsugaya's face toward hers, she pressed her lips against his.

Karin suddenly saw in slow motion. She saw Matsumoto's jaw drop, openly gaping. She saw Yuzu's pretty features form a confused expression, her hand slowly closing around one of Karin's own. She noticed her brother's expression unhurriedly go from slightly annoyed to furious, and Rukia gradually turn to look at her, pity in her eyes. Her father looked at her as well, a stoic, unreadable expression on his face.

Most of all, however, Karin noticed Hitsugaya's eyes slowly widen with surprise. And she noticed when Hinamori gradually pulled back, her eyes immediately locking with Karin's. The message was clear. _Mine._

Karin noticed all of these things. What she didn't notice, however, was when exactly Hinamori's napkin burst into flame.

Momo shrieked, and time regained its proper place. Karin blinked slowly as the table suddenly came to life. Hitsugaya jumped, in shock of the sudden flames, and Ichigo instantly was on his feet, tossing his water on the napkin.

Everyone stared at the charred remains of the napkin that spontaneously caught flame. "...What just happened?" Hinamori asked.

"I don't know exactly," Rukia answered. "One minute is was fine, and the next...it wasn't."

Hitsugaya stared at Karin, a calculating look on his face, and in that moment, she realized.

"Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't mean to—"

"Wait—_you_ did it, Karin-chan?" Yuzu asked softly.

"No, I mean yes, I mean—I can't control it," Karin answered meekly.

"Let me get this straight." Ichigo eyed her like he had never seen her before. "You set that on fire. With your mind."

"I guess," Karin replied, uncomfortable with all of the attention she was suddenly getting. "I don't know, it just...happens."

"Oh, don't feel bad, Karin-chan," Matsumoto piped up. "It happens sometimes with element-based zanpakuto. Taicho had the same problem."

"You just need to learn how to control it," Hitsugaya interrupted cooly, dissuading Matsumoto from saying anything else, "get in touch with your zanpakuto. I'll teach you how tomorrow."

Karin nodded mutely, wanting to thank him, but the words escaping her.

Hinamori just smiled prettily, intertwining her fingers with Hitsugaya's.

Karin lowered her gaze to her barely-touched plate. She sure as fuck wasn't hungry _now_.

From her peripherals, Karin saw Rukia's sympathetic gaze. And she noticed, even though she was adamantly counting her rice, when Rukia nudged her sake cup over a couple of inches in Karin's direction.

Without looking up, Karin's fingers slowly closed around it.

* * *

"You, you know what?" Karin slurred, her arms draped loosely over his neck. She giggled. Then, as if what she had to say was a huge secret and someone was listening in the bushes, she whispered loudly in his ear, "You're pretty."

Hitsugaya sighed. Why was it that every time she was out of her frame of mind he was suddenly _pretty_?

Karin started to slide a little, and he repositioned his grip, making sure there was no possible way for her to fall off of his back.

How she had ended up this drunk was beyond him, especially since she was surrounded by her family. _No one thought to cut her off?_ he thought incredulously. It was as if they all looked the other way as Matsumoto poured her cup after cup of sake, and Karin downed them all. In the end, it had been him who intercepted the cup from Matsumoto.

_"You're drunk," he told her blatantly. "You've had enough."_

_It seemed to take her a few seconds to process what was happening, but when she did, her face set into classic Kurosaki defiance. Her mouth scowled, her eyes flashed daggers, a clear challenge in them, and when she spoke, it was if she was completely sober._

_"You don't own me."_

_For some reason, Hyourinmaru hissed at that, but Hitsugaya tried his best to ignore him. He had been ignoring him a lot lately._

_For the second time that night, the table was completely silent, watching them. He didn't know how to answer to that, how to respond to her sudden hostility towards him._

_"Can do what I want," she grumbled, seemingly more to herself than anyone else, and then, to his horror, she suddenly looked like she was going to cry._

_"You sure can, Karin," Rukia said hurriedly. "But you know what? I'm getting kind of tired, and I want to go home. How about you come with me?"_

_"NO," Karin said loudly, angry once again. She said more, but the only thing discernible was something about "goddamn horny strawberries."_

_Ichigo blushed slightly, and Matsumoto snorted._

_"Come with me, then, Karin-chan," Yuzu told her sister comfortingly. "I have to take care of daddy." Isshin, indeed, was passed out on the table, snoring loudly._

_"Can take care of myself," Karin mumbled, standing up, but swaying._

_"Karin, stop being so difficult," Ichigo said, standing up as well and clearly about to use force._

_"And you stop being so, so, so _orange_," Karin spluttered back._

_By this time, Hitsugaya had stood up as well, and had made his way to her side of the table. "Come on," he said, reaching his hand out, but she stumbled away from it, causing Rukia to have to right her._

_"Don't you fucking touch me, asshole," Karin threatened softly._

_Kami, _what did he do?_ He wasn't used to the hate she seemed to be aiming at him, to the distrust, and it unnerved him. Although he was hurt, the icy taicho hid behind his stoic facade, as he was used to doing. He stepped toward her again._

_"You can call me whatever you want," he said just as softly, looking her dead in the eye, "but you're coming with me. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Take your pick."_

_For a moment, she glared at him, but his gaze didn't waver, and seeing that he would not back down, she huffed and tried to stalk past him. Instead, she almost fell on her face._

_He grabbed her elbow just in time, sighing. He made his way in front of her, crouching down slightly for the second time that day. "Get on," he said, and before she could protest, he said it again, with more conviction. "Get_ on._"_

_Karin mumbled incoherently again, draping her arms loosely over his shoulders and allowing herself to be picked up. "Bastard."_

_"I know," he sighed. He turned to her family. "I'll make sure that she gets home safely, and tomorrow I'll help her try to control her reiatsu."_

_"Piece of shit," Karin grumbled._

_"Uh huh," he answered._

_Ichigo started to say something, but Rukia cut him off. "Thank you, Hitsugaya-taicho."_

_Hitsugaya nodded slightly, and started walking towards the door._

_"Shiro-chan," he heard Hinamori call. He flinched slightly. He hated that name._

_"I'll see you tomorrow, Hinamori," he said without looking behind him._

_Karin mumbled again softly, and it sounded an awful lot like "bitch."_

Now, afraid she would lose her dinner all over him, he trudged slowly back to the Tenth Division barracks.

"Hey!" she yelled, still in his ear. He flinched slightly. "Did you...did you hear me Toshiro?"

"I'm pretty," he repeated, stone-faced.

"Yeah," she responded. He felt her hair tickle his neck, and he realized she was resting her head in the crook of it. He blushed slightly.

He wasn't sure why he was getting so worked up; she was practically drooling on him, and he's had to carry a passed out Matsumoto home multiple times. But for some reason, it was different with Karin. She was shorter, and her breasts weren't nearly as large, so it made the trip more comfortable than with Matsumoto.

That wasn't what Hitsugaya noticed, however. He noticed the smell of her hair. It smelled like his shampoo, as she had been using it all this time, but as the fragrance reached his nose, he realized that it smelled much better on her.

He noticed her breath on his neck.

He noticed that at some point during her drunken escapade, she had gotten a run in her tights.

He noticed her breath on his neck.

He noticed the looks that the rare passers-by gave him when they thought he wasn't looking.

_Goddamn it_, why was he noticing her breath so much? She was just breathing. No big deal, nothing special. But every now and then, her breath would sway his hair ever so slightly, and a shiver would ripple down his spine. Him, the Ice King, getting chilled.

Something wasn't just wrong with Hyourinmaru. Something was wrong with him, too.

"Toshiro," Karin breathed softly in his ear. The shiver returned, but he ignored it, inclining his head slightly to show that he was listening. "I'm sorry."

Her utterance was clear, and once again he could have mistaken her for sober. He slowed his pace slightly. "Don't worry about it," he answered sincerely. "Just get some rest. We'll talk about it in the morning."

"Thank you," she whispered again. Her breath seemed to get closer until Hitsugaya felt soft pressure on his ear. He stopped walking.

Everything seemed to freeze. He didn't breathe, didn't think. And then, all at once, everything caught up to him.

_Did she just _kiss_ me?_

His heart sped up, and he felt the blood rush to his face. What did this mean?

They had been friends for a long time in human years, but "friends" was a loose term; what they had was hard to define. There was a fine line between best friends and something more, and they had spent most of their relationship on it, seemingly testing the waters of both sides, but refusing to be designated as either. Touches could have been platonic or not; teasing could have been platonic or not.

But it seemed as if Karin had crossed the line—by how much, he wasn't sure. Kissing was platonic or not, depending on where it was one kissed. Hell, Matsumoto kissed him on the forehead sometimes, when she was in a particularly joyous mood.

But Matsumoto was just his airhead lieutenant. Karin was—

He stood there for a good minute, thinking in circles. When he finally trusted himself to speak, Hitsugaya cautiously said one word.

"Karin."

Silence. Then, a snore so monstrous that he felt the vibrations in his back.

_Of course she's asleep_, he thought, strangely irritated. _Why wouldn't she be? She's drunk._ He sighed. _She probably won't even remember._

But Hitsugaya wasn't sure that he could forget.

* * *

**A/N: YES! Some action, finally. And poor Hitsu is starting to question his feelings.**

**You know you have something to say. Go ahead and let me know. ^_^**


	27. Chapter 27

**Yes!!! An update! And it's uncharacteristically long, because I couldn't find a place that I could stop at that wouldn't be awkward. Oh well, I'm sure that none of you mind. XD**

**Okay, first of all, I would like to give you all a tremendous thank you. Last chapter had the most reviews out of all the chapters, and it really brightens my day to see so many people enjoying my work. Secondly, I have noticed that a lot of the reviewers seem to be gaining...violent tendencies towards Hinamori Momo. I just...wow. Hinamori better thank her lucky stars that she is a fictional character, because if she were alive, she clearly wouldn't be for long. Harsh. Hahaha**

**Okay, enough of the chit chat! Onwards with the greatness that is Hitsukarin!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I **_**definitely**_** wouldn't be taking a break this week, especially when the readers were finally starting to get some answers. Curse you, random Japanese holiday!!**

* * *

"I don't like it."

"I know." Rukia sighed, watching from her place on the bed as Ichigo paced their bedroom angrily.

"She shouldn't be there. She should be here, with us, with family." Ichigo ran his fingers through his hair, frustrated.

"She should be where she wants to be," Rukia answered. "It's her life, Ichigo. Let her live it." She paused. "She loves him."

Ichigo whipped his head towards her. "She barely knows him."

"Don't be naive, Ichigo. They're best friends. He's been going down to see her for years."

Ichigo was not stupid, and knew that Karin and Hitsugaya spent time some time together. He just was not aware to what extent, and this bit of news worried him more. His pacing increased.

Ichigo was shirtless, and although Rukia couldn't complain with the incredible view he was unknowingly giving her, his pacing was making her nervous. "Come here," she told him.

Reluctantly, it seemed, he joined her on the bed. She wrapped her arms around him, and he automatically fell into her embrace, an arm encircling her waist.

"She is only going to get hurt." His free hand played with her hair. "If he hasn't caught on by now, he never will. And, he already has a girlfriend. He's leading her on."

"She may get hurt," Rukia replied softly, "but you have to let it go."

"You know that I can't," he scoffed. "It's a big brother thing. I need to protect my sisters."

"They're not little anymore, Ichigo. They don't always need protection." Rukia tightened her hold on him slightly, looking up into his amber eyes. "The best thing we can do is be there to catch them when they fall."

Ichigo looked at her incredulously. "And getting Karin drunk is _catching_ her."

Rukia flushed slightly. "She needed to forget," she replied defensively. "I've been there."

Ichigo kept looking her with contempt, but Rukia held her ground. "She looked like she might cry, sitting there while Hinamori fawned over him. And you _know_ that Karin would never forgive herself if she cried in front of them. So I helped her forget."

Ichigo was quiet for a while. Then, "I'm going to talk to him."

"Give it a little while. Give her time to sort things out. Do it for her, Ichigo. Do it for me." She kissed him, first on the cheek, but then the kisses made their way down his neck, misted over his shoulder, and placed their attention on his chest. She could feel his resolve waning.

"Doing that on purpose," he muttered, a shiver running through him.

She smiled against his skin. "Promise? Please?"

He sighed, flipping her on her back and stopping her ministrations. "Do I have a choice?"

She grinned triumphantly, pulling him down and capturing his lips with her own.

He strategized the best way to rid her of her clothes. "Just for a little while," he breathed into her neck. "After that, I can't make any promises."

* * *

Karin groaned, sitting up. Clearly someone had decided to jackhammer her in the head, because there was no other explanation for the pain she was feeling right now.

She pushed the covers off of herself, noticing that she was still in the clothes from last night. She grimaced, sliding off the ruined tights and swapping the rest of her clothes for an old tshirt and a pair of jeans.

_Last night_, she mused. She vaguely remembered drinking, but she couldn't remember why. She had never gotten drunk before, and the aftereffects weren't sitting too well with her. _I wonder how Rangiku-san does it._

After brushing her teeth in darkness, as the bright light made her headache worse, Karin made her way into the kitchen. Hitsugaya was in there.

And suddenly, she remembered. Him. Hinamori. _Kissing_. And Rukia, offering her sake, while Matsumoto kept pouring. Both of them, trying to help her cope.

"How do you feel?" Hitsugaya asked quietly, sipping on tea.

Although her throat was suddenly dry, she managed to answer. "Like shit." She grimaced at the volume of her own voice.

Hitsugaya clearly knew more about hangovers than she did, because the volume of his voice remained low. "I can imagine."

Talking about her hangover wasn't making it any better, so she changed the topic. "Where's Yuzu?"

"She moved out." Hitsugaya took a sip of his tea. "She came and got her stuff this morning. She decided to go live with your father."

It made sense. Karin was pretty sure that the only thing that Isshin could make was instant ramen. Her father loved to be babied, and Yuzu loved to baby him.

But now, they were alone. Together.

"Oh." She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling the urge to flee. "Well, I've just realized that getting up wasn't the smartest thing to do, so..."

He gave her a sympathetic look. "Hangover that bad huh?"

"Yeah." She wasn't lying; her head was killing her. She just used that fact as an excuse. "So I'm just going to go back to bed now."

He shook his head. "No you're not. It's already the afternoon, and we've got work to do."

"Work?" she repeated dumbly. A look out the window confirmed the time of day. "Shouldn't you be at the office?"

"I took a day off," he replied. "We need to control your reiatsu. Preferably quickly, before my paperwork backs up and Matsumoto predictably does nothing about it."

"_You_, Mr. Workaholic, took a day off," she deadpanned.

He sighed. "It's important." Setting his mug down, he closed the distance between them, his hands reaching towards her face.

Reflexively, she pulled back.

Hitsugaya looked confused. "It'll be hard for you to concentrate while you're hungover. Kido will fix that."

"Oh," she replied, embarrassed by her reaction.

As she mentally kicked herself, he reached his hands out again. He didn't touch her, his palms close to her ears. Within seconds, the area around her head began to warm, and Karin felt her hangover slowly ebbing away.

She wasn't sure where she should be looking. He was close to her, and her line of eyesight led to his collarbone, but she found it awkward to look up into his haunting eyes or to watch his chest move while he breathed. She settled for looking past his shoulder and staring at the wall behind him.

"Are you mad at me or something?" Hitsugaya suddenly asked, forcing her eyes to snap up to his in surprise.

"No," she said honestly. "What would make you think that?"

"It's just, last night you..." he paused, seeing she truly had no recollection. "Never mind."

It was silent, then, until the warming sensation stopped and Hitsugaya lowered his hands.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, surprised that her head was finally clear. "Thanks."

He nodded once, and they both stood there for a second, looking at each other. Karin cleared her throat. "Didn't you say we had work to do?"

For a second, it looked as if Hitsugaya had forgotten, his mind preoccupied with other things. He blinked. "Follow me."

He led her into the study. It was a room that she had only been in once, and that was when she had first arrived and Hitsugaya had shown her around the house. There was a lone desk with a lamp, but other than that, and the bookshelves that covered all the walls, floor to ceiling, there was nothing to see.

"Do I have to read something?" Karin asked confusedly.

Hitsugaya ignored her, scanning the books on the eastern bookshelf. Apparently seeing some that he liked, he took three off of the shelf, one after another, until Karin could see that there was a handle behind them.

A _door_ handle.

Karin stared, her mouth slightly agape, as Hitsugaya pulled on the handle, effectively pulling the whole section of the bookshelf forward along with it. Lights turned on in the room beyond.

"What the hell!" Karin exclaimed. "How long has _this_ been here?!"

"Since I became captain and _put_ it there." A smirk graced his lips, and his teal eyes sparkled.

The cheeky bastard, he found her awe _amusing_! Karin stared at him further, hoping that he would explain himself. He walked into the room, and she dumbly followed.

It was completely white. The floors, the walls, everything was white, and there was nothing in it, just the fluorescent lighting and the cushioned floor. There weren't even windows. It was just a big, white, empty room.

"Jeez, where are the straightjackets?" Karin muttered to herself.

Hitsugaya looked at her confusedly. "What?"

Karin shook her head. "They're things used to restrain the mentally unstable," she explained. "It's just, this room reminds me of--nevermind. Why are we here?"

"This is my meditation room," Hitsugaya explained, closing the door behind him. "It's where I come to relax, to be one with my zanpakuto. It is the one place I know that I won't be bothered. No one else knows about it."

_This is his personal space,_ Karin realized with a start, _and he's sharing it with me._

It was different for him to share his home with her; although it was his, it was just a building, just a place he resided within. _This_, this was personal. It was the one place that he could go when he wanted to get away. No one else had been in it; no one knew of its existence. And yet, he chose share it with _her_.

She almost blushed at the intimacy. Pushing the feeling down, she asked again, "And we're here because...?"

"Because you need to learn how to control your reiatsu," Hitsugaya replied, sitting down on the padded floor and motioning her to do the same. "Although time at the academy will help you with that, I can at least help you get started. You need to meditate, and talk with your zanpakuto, your soul."

She sat down across from him, mimicking his position and sitting cross-legged. "Now what?"

"Focus," Hitsugaya replied. "Look deep within yourself; try to get centered. Then, call to her. That should do the trick."

"How do I do that?" she retorted. "I've never meditated before."

"Just try it," he responded. "It's easier when there are no distractions."

Well, that explained the room--there was nothing for her to look at, presumably nothing to distract her. Unfortunately, Hitsugaya had not factored in the fact that he was a huge distraction for her, being so gorgeous and all.

Her gaze wandered back to the man in question, and she noticed that his eyes were closed, a blank look on his face. He had clearly overestimated her, talking to his zanpakuto before making sure that she could do the same.

_Ugh_, she thought. What if she couldn't do it? It would be rude to interrupt Hitsugaya's private time; she was already intruding on his private space. Should she just wait until he finished, and then pretend that it had worked?

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes. For a good five minutes, she sat there, her thoughts running rampant, most of them about Hitsugaya. Then, she heard a familiar voice.

_"Clear your mind,"_ the voice whispered.

Her eyes snapped open in surprise. Hitsugaya still sat across from her, eyes closed. They were still alone in the room.

_"Close your eyes."_ The voice wafted through her head. _"Clear you mind, and focus."_

It was kind of hard to clear her mind when there were so many things running through it, but Karin closed her eyes as she was told and tried to think of absolutely nothing.

She wasn't sure how long it took, but when Karin opened her eyes again, she back in the world of fire. She grinned, proud of her accomplishment, and searched the ceiling for her zanpakuto.

"Took you long enough," a voice from behind her scoffed.

Karin turned around, startled. A woman stood there. Her long, fiery red hair was highlighted with cobalt blue, black, and yellow. Half of it was up in a delicate up-do, the rest of the waves allowed to cascade down her back.

She had very feminine features--her nose was small, her golden eyes were catlike, and her skin was pale--so pale, in fact, that it looked white, and it seemed to have a slight glow. She wore what looked like a pure white toga.

_She looks like some punk rock geisha chick from Ancient Rome or something_, Karin thought.

The woman's cherry red lips curled slightly. "Well, that's a new one."

Karin balked. "Wait, you read my mind?!"

The woman sighed, her barefooted feet bringing her closer. "Don't be stupid. I've already explained it to you--I am you, and you are me."

Karin's jaw dropped. "Fenikkusu?"

She just stared, her golden eyes piercing Karin's own.

Karin took that as affirmative. "What happened to the whole omnipresent, giggling eyes- in-the-sky thing?"

The zanpakuto sighed. "They're both my forms. I just use that one when I'm feeling more mysterious, more dramatic."

"And you don't feel dramatic now?"

Before, Fenikkusu looked slightly annoyed, maybe even indifferent, but at Karin's utterance, an angry spark reached her eyes. Clearly, the zanpakuto had a temper fiery enough to match her hair.

"Of course I don't," she snipped. "Not after that monster hangover you gave us!"

"Sorry," Karin mumbled. "I just couldn't sit there while she was fawning over him. Not sober, at least."

"You shouldn't _have_ to watch that!" the zanpakuto screeched, her eyes glowing. The fire seemed to react to her anger, raging, and causing her multicolored hair to swirl around her head.

"Whoa, calm down," Karin replied, her own hair swaying with the sudden gust of air. Although she knew that the fire couldn't hurt her, it still freaked her out to see it raining down from the ceiling. "This is exactly why I'm here. We need to slow it down on the theatrics. I can't have things spontaneously combusting all the time."

Fenikkusu's jaw was set in defiance. "She was taking what wasn't hers."

"And what, we _own_ Toshiro now?" Fenikkusu didn't answer, and Karin continued. "Look, as much as I want him, that's just wishful thinking. Hinamori is his _girlfriend_. _I_ am in the wrong here! You can't just set her things on fire whenever you feel like it!"

Golden eyes flashed once again. "I am you and you are me," she repeated. "We both set her napkin on fire." She paused. "Although, I was aiming for _her_."

Karin's mouth dropped in horror. "So _I_ wanted to set her on fire?"

Fenikkusu reached a delicate hand out, encasing Karin's with her own. Her gaze softened. "It's not what you really wanted, Karin. The thought crossed your mind, but you are a good person--you would never actually do it. You were angry at her, but you redirected your anger. It just so happened to be her napkin that burst aflame."

It all was a little much. Yes, she was jealous, and yes, she was angry, but did she even have any right to be? Karin had grown up with Hitsugaya as a constant presence, but Hinamori had actually grown up _with_ him, had lived in the same house, even. And with all of those years of history...who was _she_ to get angry?

"You have every right to be angry." She was listening to her thoughts again, and apparently, this was a two way street, as Fenikkusu clearly voiced in her head, _He is ours._

Karin had had enough. "You keep saying that! Am I in denial? Is that it? Or is there some other reason that you are so fixated on who Toshiro 'belongs' to?!"

For a good minute, the zanpakuto said nothing. Then, as her mouth opened, presumably in explanation, her gaze suddenly centered itself to a spot behind Karin. A pretty smile graced Fenikkusu's perfect face, and Karin turned, wondering what had caused her zanpakuto to look like she had won the lottery.

Strangely, on the wall of fire behind her, there was a wooden door that had not been there before.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Karin asked suspiciously. "And where does it go?"

"I don't know," Fenikkusu answered wistfully. From the smile that was still on her face, it was clear to Karin that she was lying. "Why don't you open it?"

Karin looked at her zanpakuto, this beautiful woman who was the embodiment of her soul. _Surely, I wouldn't try to hurt myself, _Karin thought. _I think._ After all, Karin clearly was a more angry person than she gave herself credit for. Maybe she would.

In the end, curiosity won her over. Karin walked over to the door and turned the handle, opening it a crack. A cool breeze fluttered her hair, and she opened the door wider.

It was the complete opposite of her side of the door--snow and ice were everywhere, and the temperature low was enough to make her shiver. She had noticed Hitsugaya's reiatsu as soon as she had opened the door, and when she opened it wider she could see him, his lips moving as he had a conversation with the biggest dragon she had ever seen. Not that she had ever seen a dragon before--but this one, it _had_ to be huge in dragon standards. He was icy blue, and his sharp red eyes stood out immensely in the world full of whites and blues.

As Karin studied the behemoth, Hitsugaya's attention suddenly snapped to her. For a second, his expression was blank, as if he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. Then, his eyes widened in confusion. The door abruptly shut in Karin's face, and her eyes fluttered open as she was yanked out of her inner world.

Hitsugaya was looking at her as if he had never seen her before.

Karin felt bad. "I'm sorry," she told him as he stood up, still staring. "I didn't mean to invade your space. I just saw a door that wasn't there before, so I opened it."

His eyes were still wide, his snowy brows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

But he didn't respond. He just turned away from her, opened the door, and quickly left.

* * *

**A/N: Come on, don't hit and run. Review and let me know what you thought. ^_^**


	28. Chapter 28

**Yes! An update! Everyone thank the fact that I'm too distracted to study for my finals! =D Once again, thank you all for the ****_fabulous_**** reviews! I never expected so many! Thank you so much! (Aaand I just realized I have an addiction to the exclamation point...!)**

**Okay, I must say that I laughed when I noticed the amount of people admitting to being one of the ones wanting to hurt Momo. Admitting it is the first step to recovery... ^_^**

**Oh, and as keroneko13 was so lovely to remind me a couple chapters ago, I have been writing this fic for over a year! That is insane! I never thought this would go so far. I had an idea at the beginning, and it just...exploded. This is now ****_so_****much bigger than me.**

**Okay, enough of the chatter! I'm really excited for this chapter, so here you go!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would go the Vampire Knight route and make all of the chapters ridiculously long with lots of pictures/wording. Because I just want to know what is going ****_on_**** already!**

* * *

"Toshiro!" Karin called after him, but when she exited the room herself, he was already gone. She searched the whole place for him, but he had left-she didn't even feel him in his room.

What the fuck was his _problem?_ She had said she was sorry, hadn't she? Karin sighed. She felt genuinely guilty for invading his space, but it was an accident! He didn't have to get so...emotional. _Ugh._

There was a knock at the front door. Karin started from her place on the couch, vividly remembering the last time she had decided to open the door, but deciding to open it anyway.

It was Renji. Karin grinned. Renji was one of her brother's best friends, and as such had been around her house when she was growing up almost as much as Rukia was. She liked him—he reminded her of Ichigo, pretending to be a tough guy when he really was just a big softy. It was almost like having a second brother.

"Renji!" she greeted, still grinning. "Didn't see you at dinner last night. What happened?"

Renji smirked. "I had to finish this paperwork by today. I heard that dinner was very interesting though."

Inwardly, Karin smacked her forehead. Just _how many people_ knew how much of a fool she had made of herself? "Yeah. Well, if you're looking for Toshiro, he's not here."

Renji's tattooed eyebrows scrunched together slightly. "That's too bad. I know that it's his day off, but I really need him to sign something." He paused. "Do you know where I can find him?"

"What am I, his keeper?" Karin snapped. A tattooed eyebrow rose. Realizing her mistake, Karin said quickly, "No, I don't know."

But it was too late. Renji was studying her intently.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

Renji kept looking at her. He thought of the fiery little girl that he had watched grow into a fiery young woman. It seemed to him, however, that ever since she had come to Soul Society the fire within her had dimmed. "It'll get better, you know."

"What will get better?" Karin asked confusedly.

"The pain." He shifted his weight from foot to foot, apparently uncomfortable. "It won't go away completely, but eventually it'll dim down to the point that you'll be able to ignore it."

Karin wanted to scoff at him, ask him what the hell he was talking about, but she couldn't, because she knew. "I don't think it will," she replied quietly, avoiding his eyes. "I can't even look at them together without—" _Without my heart being ripped to shreds._

"Trust me," Renji said gruffly, avoiding her eyes. And clearly, he knew what he was talking about. The object of his affection had married his best friend, after all. And although he had spent much of his life trying to prove to himself that he was worthy of her, he had easily stepped aside for an orange-haired human, just because he made her happy.

Even as Renji put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, and even as she realized that they were guests to the same pity party, Karin could not help but feel sorry for Renji.

But if he could put up with all of their lovey-doveyness, so could Karin. She was a strong girl. Karin smiled.

And Renji, seeing a little bit of the fire return to her eyes, smiled back. He patted her shoulder. "As much fun as this is, I really do have to get these papers signed." And with a little wave, he walked off down the street.

Karin closed the door, thinking. She really needed some alone time, some time to sort things out. Even though she technically_was_ alone, she just—

Walking quickly to her room, she stalked over to the closet and opened it, wrapping her hands around the soccer ball.

That was better.

* * *

He knew that he probably should have made sure that Karin was able to connect with her inner world, but Hitsugaya Toshiro, in a manner very unlike himself, was impatient. He needed to talk to Hyourinmaru.

He was confused.

His inner world came quickly after he shut his eyes, and he relished the frigid air. His breath came out in visible puffs and snow fell, a slight breeze quickly causing the snowflakes to adorn his hair. None of this bothered the taicho, however. He was home.

He didn't have to walk far to spot the dragon. Hyourinmaru lay curled by a nearby glacier, his massive size forcing him to fold himself multiple times. At the sight of his master, however, the dragon uncoiled himself, his icy scales shimmering and his massive wings unfolding. His ruby eyes looked at Hitsugaya, unblinking.

"What is going on?" Hitsugaya demanded, unprompted.

The dragon's expression did not change, but Hitsugaya could feel the mirth rolling off of him in waves. "You are going to have to specify. I do not know what you are speaking of."

"You've been acting strange lately." His zanpakuto clearly wanted to dance around the subject, but Hitsugaya had no time for games. "Tell me why."

For a while the zanpakuto was silent. Then, he inclined his head, its size seemingly rivaling the crescent moon in the starry sky. "How do you feel about the Kurosaki girl?"

Hitsugaya considered beating around the bush, but decided against it. Even now he could feel Karin's fiery reiatsu brushing his. "She's a friend. You know that."

"What about the other one?" the dragon hissed. "Hinamori."

"We grew up together. She's like my sister."

And as soon as the words passed his lips, Hitsugaya knew them to be true. She was like his big sister, always looking out for his best interests. He loved her, but was not _in_ love with her.

When they had first began dating, he had done it because he was lonely and hurting inside. Karin, his best friend, had died, and he felt a huge amount of guilt. He was sure that Hinamori was trying to help take his mind off of things—to emphasize that he wasn't alone. So he ate out with her, so that he wouldn't sit at home by himself, wallowing in self-pity. He let her hold his hand, if only to keep himself grounded.

"And what of the Kurosaki girl?" the dragon asked again, following Hitsugaya's train of thought. His musings were not his own—he and the dragon were one and the same.

"What about her?"

The dragon seemed impatient. "Why were you so upset at her death?"

Hitsugaya was appalled at the question. "She was my best friend!" he responded. Unexpectedly, his past anger resurfaced. "I was sure I was never going to see her again. Plus, she shouldn't have died in the first place. I was right there!" He grit his teeth involuntarily. "I should have protected her."

And so he was constantly on the lookout for her, knowing full well that she would not remember him. It was two years of his life, but he couldn't recall most of it—the only thing he remembered _clearly_ was searching for her. Running through Rukongai, his body pumped with adrenaline and filled with hope, trying to detect the exact location that he had felt her reiatsu coming from. And the feeling of his hope being crushed _again_ as he came to a dead end.

Everything else was fuzzy around the edges. Dinners with Hinamori, Matsumoto's face, paperwork.

"You dated Hinamori to ease your pain of the death of a friend," the dragon mused. "But now, that friend is back, and you no longer feel sad."

_So why are you still seeing Hinamori?_ the dragon's voice wafted through Hitsugaya's head.

_I...I don't know._

He hadn't expected to find Karin, to see her again, and when he had, he felt like he could _breathe_ again. There had been a heaviness in his chest that just wouldn't go away, and just the sight of her had dissolved it. He hadn't been thinking about Hinamori at _all_, hadn't realized that he was still technically "dating" her.

To be honest, he figured Momo would see that he had returned to his old self, that he was no longer overwhelmingly _pathetic_. He thought that she would notice that he no longer needed someone to cling to, to keep him sane, and everything would go back to normal.

But it didn't work out that way. It seemed that he had misjudged Hinamori's intentions—Karin's homecoming had only made her cling further to him.

"How does that make you feel?" the dragon rumbled.

To be honest, smothered. Every other second she was there, wanting to go to lunch, grabbing his hand, throwing herself at him, Shiro-chan, Shiro-chan, _Shiro-chan_.

Hyourinmaru's eyes glowed. _Do not forget the kiss._

Hitsugaya cringed. He_ had_ forgotten. Or at least, he had _chosen_ to.

She had been close, too close, and he could feel the tension in her lips, the brute force. This was not the same as the kisses she gave him when they were growing up. She had never kissed him on the _lips_ before, just the cheek, and sometimes his forehead. While there was always tenderness in those, there was no real affection in that kiss, none of the sibling endearment.

There was only possessiveness and challenge.

Worst of all, she had kissed him in front of everyone.

"Everyone?" the dragon queried. "Or Kurosaki Karin?"

Hitsugaya's heart started at that, and he felt his face heat up involuntarily. "She's included in 'everyone,' isn't she?"

"And yet the fact that _she_ witnessed your exchange with Hinamori bothers you the most."

How could it _not_ bother him? The way she had looked at him...He could clearly see the hurt in her eyes, and the distrust.

And after all these years, after everything that they had been through together, it really unnerved him that she no longer trusted him. The smothering feeling in his chest had returned.

"You spoke of Hinamori's constant presence overwhelming you," the dragon hissed. "However, you spend a lot more time with the Kurosaki girl. Does _her_ presence bother you?"

Even now, he could feel Karin's reiatsu flair against his. _She must have been able to talk to her zanpakuto._ "No." It did the opposite—she seemed to calm him.

"And you were put off by Hinamori's kiss, but the girl's drunken one _to your ear_ left you flustered."

Hitsugaya felt himself blush again. "What's your point?"

The dragon lowered his head until he was face to face with his master. His ruby-red eyes glittered impatiently at his master's teal ones. _You are a smart child. Do not make me spell it out for you._

_I am not a child!_ Hitsugaya huffed. Of all people, Hyourinmaru knew this.

Hyourinmaru returned to his full height silently, still watching his master intently.

Karin's reiatsu flared again.

Hitsugaya sighed. He had to break up with Hinamori, he knew that much. He honestly felt like he was her brother, and he could not love her..._that_ way.

It was not fair to her when...

His eyes widened in realization.

...when his feelings lay elsewhere! How could he have been so _stupid?_

_He loved Kurosaki Karin._

He loved her laugh. When she laughed, it was like the sun had come out after months of clouds.

He loved the way her eyebrows would furrow together when she was mad.

He loved her fiery personality, volatile as it was. She would take shit from no one—but at the same time, she would do anything for her family, no questions asked.

He even loved the way she said his name. His name never sounded better than when she said it, even though she blatantly disregarded his rank.

Oh _Kami_, he was so far gone it was ridiculous!_ How had he not seen this?_

_You are just a little naive in romantic matters. You have never been in love before; it is to be expected._

Hitsugaya looked at his zanpakuto incredulously. Hyourinmaru was _amused!_ He found the whole situation _amusing!_

He could feel Karin's reiatsu touch his.

_You knew this entire time. Why didn't you tell me?_

The dragon was smugly silent.

Hitsugaya shook his head. He could even swear he saw Karin standing there next to some glacier! Was he so far gone that he was having hallucinations about her? This was ridiculous!

He stared at the Karin that his mind had conjured up. She was peeking at him through some sort of door, her mouth open in awe.

And when her reiatsu began to mix with his, Hitsugaya realized that she was no vision.

Shocked, he completely blocked off his mind, effectively shutting the door and pulling him back into reality.

Karin was still sitting across from him, eyes closed, but she soon blinked them open dazedly. "I'm sorry," she said.

Hitsugaya stood, utterly confused. She had been in his inner world._ She had been in his inner world._ That was _impossible_!

"I didn't mean to invade your space. I just saw a door that wasn't there before, so I opened it." She looked guilty.

_How had she done it? _A shinigami's inner world was theirs alone—no one else could reach it!

But_ Karin _had. She had been there, clear as day.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

But it was too much. He needed answers. Stunned silent, he left the room, quickly exiting through the front door as well. He could hear her calling after him, but he didn't stop. He could explain later, when he understood what was going on himself.

It was time to pay a visit to the Thirteenth Division.

* * *

**A/N: YES! Man, it feels good to write that. I hope it felt just as good reading it, because I found it oh so satisfying.**

**Let me know what you thought! Review! ^_^**


	29. Chapter 29

**Omg, I am ****_so_**** sorry! I honestly didn't mean for this chapter to take this long. I literally went from taking finals to coming home and working full-time, so my time and inspiration were a little lacking. Thank you to all the people who waited for this, and to everyone that faved and reviewed. This chapter's a little longer, so I hope that makes up for it.**

**On another note, I noticed while I was rereading some of the stuff that I read that I spell Fenikkusu's name in this story at least three different ways. Sorry about that-I guess I went a little crazy on the double letters. I'll be fixing that when I get the time! ^_^**

**Okay, let's get this show on the road!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I wouldn't be dragging out the story. I find Ichigo's training for another three months necessary, but if we have to watch him do it that long it will quickly become ridiculous.**

* * *

"My little girls are growing up!" Isshin blubbered, streams of tears falling from his eyes.

Karin sighed, looking at the ceiling. "We have _already_ grown up, you old goat," she said, shoveling more rice into her mouth. Not to mention the fact that she was technically _dead_.

"Leave him alone," Rukia scolded playfully. "He's just sentimental. It's not everyday his _precious daughters_ enroll into the Shinigami Academy."

"Not you too," Karin groaned at her teasing. But she saw Rukia's point. Ichigo had never gone to the academy, and her father was extremely proud of her and Yuzu. He just had a ridiculous way of showing it.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would become a student. It was kind of weird, as she hadn't been in school for a couple of years, but she was excited. She would finally be able to understand and control her power.

_Control my power..._ She felt her stomach begin to clench and pushed the thought away.

Even though they lived together, Karin had barely seen Hitsugaya for two weeks. He would already be gone when she awakened in the mornings, and would come home absurdly late or not at all.

She was positive that he was avoiding her, and had had her mind set on tracking him down and confronting him about it. But she didn't because, if she was honest with herself, she was hurt. After everything that they had been through together, it had taken only _accidentally_ encroaching on his space for him to pull away from her. It bothered her.

So she decided that if he liked his space so much, she would let him have it. Although it wasn't necessary, _she_ began avoiding _him_ too. She would pretend to be asleep if she heard him come home at night, and she stopped hanging around the Tenth Division office. She visited her family instead, hanging out with Yuzu and her baka father. She spent more time with Rukia—they frequently went out to lunch together, and Rukia even took her on a tour of the Kuchiki mansion. Karin had met Rukia's brother then—he was a little stuck up and emotionless, but he was pleasant enough.

And as much as she loved her own brother, Karin was going nowhere near the Fifth Division. _She_ was there, and Karin didn't want to have to deal with being civil when she felt anything but. Ichigo was spending a lot of time there, trying to learn how to be a captain, but since Karin didn't go there, she didn't see him very often. He would sometimes join in on her and Rukia's lunches, and once and a while would be able to make the family dinners Yuzu had prepared every night, but other than that, she didn't see him.

Karin knew that she was being ridiculous. She had forbade herself to go near anywhere Hitsugaya might be, and when she added Hinamori into the picture, she was limited in where she could go. Plus, she had hardly seen Matsumoto, who had become a friend.

The one time that she _had_ acted, had told herself that she was insane—and that she could visit the Tenth if she wanted to, _she missed Matsumoto goddamn it_—she had put on a fake air of confidence and walked into the Tenth Division office.

His desk was empty.

Matsumoto had been ecstatic to see her, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug and immediately filling her in on all the gossip. But as much as she laughed, Karin couldn't help but be distracted by the empty desk, and, in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner, asked Matsumoto where Hitsugaya had gone.

Matsumoto had paused before smiling, telling her that she didn't know.

But from the way she avoided eye contact, Karin could tell who it was that he had left with.

That had been the first and last time that Karin had ventured out. After that, she was back to avoiding him, and being avoided. And this was clearly hard work that took up a lot of her attention, because two weeks flew by before she knew it.

"Karin!" Rukia said loudly, jerking her out of her thoughts.

Startled, Karin looked up, noticing three pairs of eyes looking at her worriedly. She knew that she must have really been out of it for her _father_ to look concerned. If Ichigo hadn't been working that night, she was sure that he would have been the most worried. He seemed to be worrying about her a lot lately.

"I'm sorry, what?" Karin blinked.

"I was asking if you were going to meditate at the dojo tonight," Rukia repeated, looking at her strangely. "I forgot some papers at the office, so I was going to walk with you."

Even though she had avoided all things Hitsugaya, Karin had continued talking with her zanpakuto. She went nowhere near the room behind the bookcase, as that had started the whole mess she was in. Instead, she went to the Thirteenth Division dojo. Isshin and Ichigo had both offered her their dojos as well, but she knew that she would get nothing done if Isshin were constantly around, and Ichigo's division was out of the question.

Strangely, her zanpakuto hadn't had much to say these past couple of weeks. Whereas before she had been ranting about one thing or another—mostly Hitsugaya—Fenikkusu hadn't mentioned him since Karin opened the door to his inner world. When Karin brought this up, Fenikkusu just smiled mysteriously and remained silent. Karin was sure that her crazy sword was planning something, but since Fenikkusu clearly wasn't going to let her in on it, Karin was content to just sit in her inner world and meditate. She loved the feeling of the flames kissing her skin, the warm air caressing her hair. It was if she was being filled to the brim with her own power.

"I actually think I'm going to skip it today," Karin replied, setting her empty bowl on the table. "Head home early. You know, get ready for the big day tomorrow."

Yuzu looked across the table at her, her eyes concerned. "Are you okay, Karin-chan?"

Karin feigned a grin, hoping to not worry her twin any more than necessary. "Just peachy. I just don't see the point of trying to connect with a zanpakuto that won't talk to me. I deserve a break after dealing with her everyday."

Yuzu seemed to relax, but she puffed up her cheeks. "At least _you_ can talk to your zanpakuto," she complained. "I haven't heard a peep from mine."

"Don't worry about it Yuzu," Rukia replied, finishing her dinner as well. "Most people don't meet their zanpakuto until they are in the Academy."

"Yup." Karin stood up, grinning. "I'm just a freak of nature I guess."

"Don't say that, Karin-chan," Isshin piped up. "Daddy likes to call you _special_."

She had to walk around to the other side of the table to do it, but Karin gave her father's face her mean right hook.

Rukia laughed as Isshin started his crocodile tears, but Yuzu, always a sucker for them, rushed to her father's side.

"Special," Karin muttered, walking out the door. "If anyone's special, it's definitely that crazy old man."

* * *

"...and then Kiyone had the gall to tell everyone that she and Sentaro _weren't_ dating!" Hinamori gushed, her eyes wide. "Can you believe that? Everyone knows that they _are._ They're sharing Kurosaki-fukutaicho's quarters, you know. Lieutenant quarters only have one bedroom."

"Mmm." Hitsugaya wasn't interested. He had already heard the gossip from Matsumoto, who had come straight from her Shinigami Women's Association meeting and told anyone who was willing to listen. Not that he had been at all willing—it was just that that woman was _persistent_.

Already knowing about Kentaro and Kiyone wasn't the only reason why he was barely listening, however. He was thinking.

For the past two weeks he had been taking Momo on "dates", trying to find a way to break up with her. It took him a while to get up the heart to do it—he loved her, he really did, and it hurt him to know that _she_ was hurting.

The last time that he had seen Momo cry was when she had woken up from her coma and he had to tell her that the Winter War had been fought and that Aizen was dead. She had cried, really cried then, sobbing into his haori and gasping for air. He had had no idea what to do, so he just let her, his stomach clenching with each whimper.

He didn't know if he could handle that again.

But then Hitsugaya remembered. _Karin._ He wanted to tell her how he felt, even if she didn't feel the same, but he couldn't do it if he was still attached to Hinamori. It wasn't fair to her, and it wasn't fair to Hinamori for him to be in love with someone else.

So he decided that it had to be done, and he had been trying to break it off. Somehow, however, Hinamori always seemed to know when he was going to bring it up, and the subject was evaded.

"Speaking of dating," Hitsugaya started, leaning across the table towards her.

Hinamori's eyes widened slightly. "I went and saw Granny yesterday," she interjected.

He was sick of her deflecting. "Hinamori."

"You should really visit her, you know. She misses you."

"Hinamori."

"Her back isn't hurting her as much lately."

"_Momo_."

The tone of his voice seemed to startle her, and she quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, Shiro-chan, I just realized that I have to go."

Hitsugaya sighed. She was doing it again.

"Kurosaki-taicho is learning quickly but he still needs my help. Especially since the new semester of the Academy is starting."

Even though she was clearly making excuses, Hinamori wasn't kidding. The start of a new semester meant that graduates would be joining the Thirteen Divisions, and this meant a ridiculous amount of paperwork. This was a time that all the captains were swamped-when Hitsugaya wasn't out with Momo, trying to break it off, he was holed up in his office doing paperwork.

"Momo, I really need to talk to you," he stressed.

"Later, Shiro-chan, okay?" She smiled, but he noticed that it didn't reach her eyes. "I didn't realize how late I was."

He thought about stopping her as she left the restaurant, but decided against it. There was no way that she was going to listen to him today.

Sighing, he stood up as well, nodding his head in thanks to the old man who owned the restaurant. Walking home, his thoughts drifted back to Karin.

He had barely seen Karin for two weeks—she hadn't come by the office like she usually did, and by the time he got home, she was asleep. He knew that she was probably spending quality time with her family, but he missed her.

It wasn't just that he loved her. She was his best friend, and without her around him jabbering, laughing, or just _being _there, life wasn't the same.

He had seen her once, laughing and talking to Kurosaki Rukia. He had been looking out of his window in the office and had seen them walking in the distance. Apparently, he had been staring, because Matsumoto came over from her desk, wondering what he was looking at. Luckily for him, the two were no longer in view. Matsumoto, without a doubt would have teased him incessantly.

The last time that Hitsugaya had _really_ seen Karin, however, had _talked_ to her and looked into her eyes, was that day. The day she had somehow gotten into his soul.

He regretted acting so strongly, but she had startled him. Karin had done the impossible, and the only thing that he could think of doing was going to see Ukitake.

"_Hitsugaya-taicho!" Ukitake smiled, happy to see him. He had always felt a sort of kinship with the tenth captain because their names were similar, and because of this, had become a friend of Hitsugaya's. Coughing a little into his handkerchief, he gestured the bowl sitting in front of them with his other hand. "Candy?"_

_"No thank you," Hitsugaya declined, flustered. He ran a hand through his hair distractedly._

_Ukitake noticed Hitsugaya's uneasiness. It was very unlike the tenth taicho. His face softening, he leaned towards Hitsugaya. "What can I do for you?"_

_"Have you ever heard of a shinigami being able to enter another shinigami's inner world?" The words rushed out, as if they couldn't stand to be contained by his mouth any longer._

_Ukitake blinked._

_Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Hitsugaya repeated the question in a more understandable manner, even though Karin had yet to become a shinigami._

_Ukitake's eyebrows knotted in confusion. "That is impossible."_

_Hitsugaya lowered his eyes in thought. Karin was more of a handful than he had previously thought._

_This was clearly something that had to be told to the soutaicho._

_But he had come to Ukitake instead. He figured his friend was old enough to be able to think of at least one instance of Karin's phenomenon, and he didn't want to bring too much attention to her. She had already done the impossible, remembering her past life. Hitsugaya was sure that if he told Yamamoto and word somehow got around, Karin would end up in the Twelfth with that psycho Mayuri._

_"Soul Society's library is large, however," Ukitake said brightly. "I could look it up for you."_

_"Oh, no," Hitsugaya replied. "I wouldn't want to overexert you."_

_Ukitake waved the thought away with his hand. "I barely do anything as it is," he said, humor in his voice, "because my lovely lieutenant and rambunctious third-seats don't want me to 'overexert' myself. I seem to have lots of free time on my hands."_

_Relief rushed through Hitsugaya. There was an answer, and Ukitake was going to find it. Karin didn't have to be experimented on. "Thank you, Ukitake-taicho."_

_"May I ask, however, why you suddenly find this subject interesting?" Hitsugaya opened his mouth to answer, but paused. Ukitake, noticing the hesitation, waved his hand again. "It's not important," he said, a glint in his eye. "You can tell me when you're ready. And you can rest easy—this conversation will not leave this room."_

_Once again, Hitsugaya felt immensely grateful. He had made the right decision._

_"Now, now, Hitsugaya-taicho." Ukitake, smiling, pushed the candy bowl towards his guest. "I won't take no for an answer. I just received these candies, and I want to know what a candy connoisseur such as yourself thinks of them. I offered some to Yachiru, but she just swallowed them. I'm sure she didn't even taste them..."_

Ukitake had made him eat most of the bowl, but he hadn't complained—he was a sucker for sweets, and the candies were delicious.

Hitsugaya walked on, still thinking of the candies. He didn't realize that he had arrived home until he was literally in front of his house. He started a little.

Karin was there.

Well, that wasn't unusual, seeing as she _lived_ with him, but she was out where he could see her, sitting on the roof of the building and apparently looking at the stars.

Her onyx hair, usually held out of the way in a ponytail, hung free, blowing softly in the wind. She wore a t-shirt that was most likely one of her brother's—Hitsugaya could barely make out the faded _Nice Vibe_ lettering, and it was long, covering past the knees that she hugged to herself.

He continued to watch her for a few seconds, just happy to see her after so long. Just when he was about to call out to her, Karin jumped, seeming to finally notice him.

"What are you doing down there?" she yelled, her hand reflexively covering her heart.

"I think the question is, what are _you_ doing up _there_?" he responded.

Her surprise was wearing off, and in its place she seemed to be putting up a wall. Her eyes became guarded. "I was stargazing." Her attention returned to the sky. "And I didn't mean what you were doing _there_. I meant—well, it's just, you're usually home a lot later than this."

She was trying to put distance between them. Hitsugaya hadn't seen her in two weeks, and when he finally did, _she was putting distance between them_. His feelings were hurt, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he hopped up onto the roof with her. She seemed even more surprised, but he paid her no mind and sat down beside her. There was a decent distance between them.

"Every time there is a new semester at the Academy, there are graduates. Those graduates join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads." She wasn't looking at him, but he could tell that she was listening. "And that means that all of those graduates' paperwork needs to be looked over. And signed, stamped, and filed."

Karin slowly peeled her eyes away from the sky, planting them on Hitsugaya.

"All of this _on top _of the paperwork I already have," he sighed. "This time of the year is a real pain. Even _Matsumoto_ has been doing paperwork. She knows that there is no way that I'd finish by myself. I'm barely sleeping as it is." He snorted. "It's the only time she actually does her job."

Karin's expression dropped, her eyes lowering as well.

"What?" Hitsugaya asked, confused.

Karin sighed. "All of this time I thought that you've been ignoring me, when really you've been working. I'm sorry."

Hitsugaya's eyebrows furrowed. "Why would I do that?" he asked, perplexed. "And what are you apologizing for?"

"I thought that you were upset at me for invading your space that time we meditated," she replied. "And I'm apologizing because I was ignoring you too."

He smirked. "So," he said, leaning towards her a little, "you were ignoring me because you thought that I was ignoring _you_."

Even though it was dark, he could see her face flush. "Well, yeah," she replied defensively. "I haven't seen you for like two weeks, and the one time I went to the office you were—gone. I was pissed off, so I ignored you too."

Another snort erupted from him. But it sounded amused. "Why would I be mad at you? It wasn't your fault. You didn't know what was on the other side of that door. You just surprised me. Going into another shingami's inner world is impossible."

She started at that. "What do you mean, impossible?"

"Impossible, as in _not_ possible."

Karin looked like she wanted to smack him, but she refrained herself from doing so. "Well then, smartass, how did I do it?"

"I don't know," he admitted, looking again at the stars in thought. "You've been doing the impossible since you came here. I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Karin had nothing to say to that, but shoved him a little anyway, returning her own attention to the stars.

They didn't say much after that, just stargazing and enjoying each other's company. At some point, and Hitsugaya didn't know when, the distance between them had shortened, their thighs close to touching.

It was moments like this that he cherished, that he had missed the past two weeks, and although he had told himself that he wouldn't, being together with her like this had sparked the need to tell her how he felt. He had to tell her. He _had_ to.

Now wasn't the time, however. He would tell her tomorrow, before she was inducted, so that she could have time to think about what he had to say, to process it, and, if she wanted to, to make a quick exit .

Tomorrow wasn't just the day Kurosaki Karin would become shinigami-in-training.

Hitsugaya loved her. And tomorrow was the day he would tell her so.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Finally cranked that one out. Please review, and let me know what you think! ^_^**


	30. Chapter 30

**WHAT! AN UPDATE? Hath hell frozen over? Do the piggies suddenly have wings? I know, I know, I've been ****_terrible_****. All I can do is apologize again and hope that you, my dear readers, can forgive me! I know it's been a long wait, but hopefully this extra-long chappie makes up for it.**

**Okay, enough ass-kissing: let's get down to business. Part 1 of my apology is in the Hitsukarin oneshot that I wrote in the meantime, ****_In The Dark_****. Please read and review! (*insert shameless plug*) ^_^ Oh, and I don't plan on the wait being that long again. This fic's finally getting started.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I couldn't have made Ichigo's hair any more perfect. YUMMY.**

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Karin said, sighing.

"It is not," Rukia mumbled around the food in her mouth.

"Yeah," Matsumoto replied, pouting. "Only captains get to go to the induction ceremony. How else would we get to see your new uniform?"

Karin sighed again. "Seeing as I'll be wearing it practically everyday for the next six years, I don't think it'll be a problem."

Even though her induction into the Academy wasn't until later that day, Rukia and Matsumoto had forced Karin to parade around in her uniform for their own amusement. They were in the Tenth Division office, as Hitsugaya had banned his lieutenant from leaving the room. ("It's because he's gone all day doing Academy stuff," Matsumoto whined, "and he wants me to do all the paperwork by myself.")

As much as she protested, Karin had to admit it—the uniform looked good on her. It was more formfitting than her regular clothes, showing off her shape, and she had always thought that she looked good in red.

"That's not the point," Rukia pointed out, spooning whatever she was eating into her mouth. "And don't complain. At least we're not taking pictures."

Like her father. He had snapped photo after photo, acting like she and Yuzu were going to _prom_ or something. It didn't help that Yuzu encouraged him, happy to be showing off her new uniform. The memory made her skin crawl.

"Besides," Matsumoto pouted again, "I haven't seen you in _forever_. You hardly come around anymore."

Karin cringed. "I'm sorry, Rangiku-san."

She was too embarrassed to explain to Matsumoto exactly _why_ she hadn't been around, but her buxom friend just smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Even if you had come, taicho would have made you leave. Stick in the mud."

"This _is_ our busiest time of the year," Rukia mumbled around her spoon. "I don't blame him. I've been stuck in the office for weeks."

Seemingly annoyed by Rukia's mumbling, Matsumoto yanked the jar out of her hands. "What are you eating?"

Karin was curious as well, and, leaning over to read the label, wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Red bean paste? You're eating red bean paste out of the _jar_?"

Rukia snatched her jar back, her violet eyes glaring lightly at them.

Karin continued to look at her confusedly. "Even if I ignore the fact that that is _disgusting_," she started, watching as Rukia spitefully ate another spoonful, "I can't ignore the fact that you _hate_ that stuff. And you have, ever since Orihime made you that cake for your birthday."

Let it be known that cake smothered in red bean paste and wasabi tastes just as good on the way down as it does on the way up.

"I just had a taste for it today," Rukia said, her tone defensive. "What's the big deal?"

Matsumoto laughed, a gleam in her eye. She turned towards Karin conspiratorially. "Sounds preggers to me," she stage whispered.

Rukia rolled her eyes, but Karin nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me, as much as you two seem to be at it."

Rukia sighed, shifting from her place on the couch. "She was kidding, Karin. Souls don't have babies. I thought we told you that."

Karin, secretly happy that the focus was off of her and her uniform, plopped on the couch between her friends. "At all," she said skeptically. "Souls don't reproduce at _all_?"

"That's not true," Matsumoto piped up, "it's just really unlikely."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Karin demanded.

"The chances of a two humans reproducing, if watching the woman's cycle, is twenty-five percent per month," Rukia started. "Without watching her cycle, the chances are eleven percent. Souls, we don't have 'cycles.' The chances of two normal souls reproducing are point-two-five percent."

Karin raised an eyebrow at the statistics her sister-in-law seemed to have memorized. "Normal souls?"

"She means souls that aren't nobles," Matsumoto added. "Nobles are different. Two nobles have about a thirty-five percent of conceiving."

Now, both of Karin's eyebrows went up.

"Don't look at us like that," Rukia scoffed. "Everyone in Soul Society knows this stuff. And before you even start, I was adopted into the Kuchiki family."

"If you say so," Karin said skeptically, watching as Rukia triumphantly ate another spoonful. "But I wouldn't put it past my brother to be in that point-two-five percent. I mean, look at all the other odds he's beaten."

"She's got a point," Matsumoto laughed, patting Rukia's completely flat stomach. "There's probably a little Ichi-chan in there right now."

Rukia smacked the blonde's hand away, but that didn't stop the giggles coming from Matsumoto's mouth. Karin grinned.

"Matsumoto," a voice prompted, seemingly annoyed.

Hitsugaya had returned. Karin hadn't heard him coming, but that was usually the case. He glanced at her, holding her gaze for a moment, before returning to Matsumoto.

"I ask you to finish some of the paperwork," he starts, one of his signature "paperwork rants" on its way, "and I come back to find you having a _tea party_?"

"Oh, there's no tea," Rukia piped up, still chowing down on her red bean paste. "Rangiku's too terrible a hostess for that."

The look on his face clearly said Hitsugaya wasn't in the mood. He looked tired and very, _very_ stressed. He turned slowly towards Rukia, letting out a long breath. "Kurosaki-fukutaicho," he said cooly, "maybe it would be best if you returned to the Thirteenth Division. I'm sure Ukitake-taicho has plenty of things that he needs you to do."

One of Rukia's eyebrows went up in surprise, her violet eyes widening. She turned to Karin, her expression saying, i_s he _seriously _pulling rank on me?_

Karin sighed. Matsumoto was always saying that her taicho was too high strung, and all of the extra work was clearly going to give him an aneurysm. "Chill out, Toshiro. Rangiku-san just needed a break; you've had her cooped up in here for two weeks. She's going to go crazy, like you."

He turned his cool gaze to her, clearly annoyed.

Karin smirked. "You need to relax," she quipped, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and putting him in a slight headlock, "and take that stick out of your ass."

He fought her as she ruffled his hair, quickly getting out of her hold and grasping her arms securely against her sides.

She snorted, finding the whole situation hilarious, but sobered up quickly when she noticed how close he was to her. She looked into his eyes as if seeing them for the first time. They weren't just aquamarine, as she previously thought, but had a golden ring around the pupils, and his eyelashes, white as freshly fallen snow, were strangely long for a boy's.

And then she realized that they had been silently staring at each other like creepy people.

"Erm," she started intelligently, trying to think of something to say. "Um...hey, what are the chances of two souls reproducing?"

Hitsugaya was taken aback, looking at her like she had suddenly grown another head. "Point two-five percent. Unless they're nobles, in which case it is thirty-five percent...why?"

Karin looked back at him as if he had just grown two heads. _What is it with Soul Society and pregnancy statistics? I guess Rangiku-san wasn't kidding about _everyone_ knowing them._

Matsumoto, who had been trying to suppress her giggles the entire time, burst out laughing. Rukia looked on thoughtfully, polishing off the rest of her red bean paste. Her eyes, however, warned Karin not to say anything.

"Just curious," Karin answered carefully. She looked pointedly to her arms. "Now could you let me go?"

Surprised, he dropped her arms as if they were on fire. "Sorry," he muttered.

Karin laughed. "No problem. Now if you don't mind, I've got this thing to do. You know, this whole 'preparing to become a shinigami' thing."

She gave a little wave to Matsumoto and Rukia, turning to leave, but stopped at the sound of Hitsugaya's voice.

"Wait."

He looked kind of nervous, fidgety, his eyes darting around the room. And then he seemed to notice that they had an audience—a very attentive one at that. Rukia blatantly stared, and Matsumoto leaned further off the couch so she could hear better.

Karin tapped her foot impatiently. "What is it? I have to meet Yuzu beforehand, and my crazy father is probably going to ambush me with more pictures, so—"

"I need to talk to you," he said quietly, hoping to throw off the eavesdroppers.

"Can it wait until later?" Karin asked, just as quietly. "I really do have to go. You're going to be at the induction ceremony, right?"

He nodded, noticing that Matsumoto was practically falling off the couch trying to hear the conversation.

"Okay, we'll talk then." Karin paused. "Why are we whispering?"

_THUD._

The two of them turned to find Rukia and Matsumoto in a heap on the floor. They smiled sheepishly.

A visible vein pulsed in Hitsugaya's head.

"And...on that note," Karin said, walking out the door. But even in the hallway, the enraged scream of "_MATSUMOTO!_" was easily audible.

* * *

"It's not fair."

Kira Izuru watched helplessly as Hinamori Momo paced his office. She had shown up in Third Division, visibly upset, and Kira had guided her to his lieutenant's office. Luckily, his newly-named captain Kurosaki Isshin was not around.

Now, she walked from wall to wall mumbling the same sentence over and over.

"It's not fair."

"Momo," he pleaded. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. What's not fair?"

She finally looked him in the eyes then, stopping her pacing abruptly.

There were no tears in her eyes, but her voice shook slightly. "When is it _my_ turn?"

Kira looked at her blankly.

Hinamori continued unprompted. "Remember during our Academy years how I had the biggest crush on Renji? But nothing happened, because he was _so_ in love with Kuchiki Rukia?"

Kira nodded. He remembered vividly, because _he_ was in love with Momo—he was just too much of a coward to admit it.

Some things never change.

"And—" she paused, her eyes glazing over. She was looking at him, but she wasn't _seeing_ him anymore. "And Aizen-taicho?"

Kira didn't think anyone could forget.

"And now, when I finally think that I understand, that it's my Shiro-chan who is right for me...that Kurosaki girl gets in the way!"

Hinamori sighed. "I know it's childish. I know it's immature. But I can't help it! I saw him first! I _loved_ him first! And yet she's always around, and she _won't take a hint._ I don't know how else to tell her to back off without blatantly getting in her face!"

"Well, maybe you _should_ get in her face," Kira advised, inwardly hating himself for giving the girl he loved advice on how to be with someone else. He really was pathetic.

"I can't do that, Izuru. My new taicho is her brother." Hinamori made a face. "And do you know what else? Shiro-chan's been trying to break up with me, and I know it's _her_ fault."

Kira wasn't really sure what he should say to that. He put a tentative hand on her shoulder, trying to be supportive. "She gets inducted into the Academy today. At least then she won't be around Hitsugaya-taicho as much."

Hinamori visibly brightened at this, throwing her arms around Kira in glee. "You're right, Izuru-kun! And she'll have to live in the dorms and everything. That means that Shiro-chan and I can have more time to be together, and then I just _know_ that he'll realize that we're supposed to be together!"

Giving Kira one last squeeze, not at all noticing the rigidity of his body, she let him go, smiling cheerfully. "Thank you so much, Izuru. I feel so much better."

"I'm glad," Kira managed to say, his body still in a state of shock from her previous proximity.

"Now, we should get going." Momo grabbed his hand, tugging on it lightly and not noticing the slight blush on his face. She smiled again. "The induction's about to start."

* * *

Karin yawned widely, eyes watering.

Yuzu shot her a disapproving glance.

Karin returned it with a little shrug. What did her twin expect? The old man was droning on and on, talking about history and tradition and other nonsensical bullshit. How the hell was she supposed to pay attention?

The grandeur of the whole situation had quickly gotten old. All the inductees stood together on the grass, clad in their red and blue uniforms. All the captains and lieutenants stood in meeting order on the stage with the old man, clearly not listening to the speech that they heard twice a year every year. Even Ichigo, who had not even heard the speech before, looked utterly bored, choosing instead to blatantly stare at Rukia.

_It is slightly disgusting how whipped that boy is_, Karin thought to herself. Since the ceremony was conducted outside in a large area in the First Division, she raised her head, watching the clouds drift by.

She felt a small poke in her side. It was Yuzu again, pouting.

"This is important, Karin-chan!" she whispered, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"The Academy dorms were built just before Japan's Edo period," the old shinigami droned.

"Yuzu, no one but you is even paying attention," Karin pointed out. "Besides, you _know_ that I couldn't even focus in school assemblies when I was alive."

Yuzu pouted again. "You could at least try, you know. This is an important part of our Academy experience."

"I'm sorry, Yu," she sighed. "I'll try."

Yuzu seemed content at this, and Karin refocused her attention to the stage, determined to pay attention.

She was sure that the old man didn't even know what he was talking about anymore. Not only were she and all of her new classmates bored, but, onstage, the Gotei Thirteen blatantly did not pay attention. Matsumoto and Rukia had obviously lied to her about not being able to come to the ceremony, but Karin found she didn't mind so much—at least they gave her something to look at. It seemed like her brother and Rukia, on opposite sides of the old man, had entered some sort of staring contest. She peeked at him around her white-haired captain, jaw set determinedly. Ichigo began to look more and more pissed off as Isshin, determined to make Ichigo lose, kept poking him around the lady captain with the braid. Said captain had a smile on her face, clearly finding the whole situation amusing.

Karin was thoroughly creeped out when, watching her brother's antics, she saw Hinamori. It seemed as if the girl was looking _right at her_. There was a thoughtful, calculating look on her face.

"That's impossible," Karin muttered to herself. Out of all of those people, it was highly unlikely that Hinamori could pinpoint _her_. It was more likely that she happened to be looking in Karin's direction. Still, it was like she was looking Karin straight in the eye, and the small smile she had on her face unnerved her.

Shaking off the weird vibe, Karin looked further down the line. Hitsugaya looked like he would snap any second, and it was easy to see why—Matsumoto, standing behind him, was using him as an armrest. Even though she was only about an inch taller than him now, she still reached her arm up and leaned on his shoulders, clearly bored. From the vein popping out of his head and the pissed off look in his eyes, Karin could see that Hitsugaya obviously did not appreciate being leant on.

Refraining from bursting out laughing, she quickly diverted her attention again. Standing next to Hitsugaya was a monster of a man—he was enormous, with bulging muscles and a crazy look in his eye. He appeared to be wearing an eyepatch, and, strangely, had a little girl sitting on his shoulders. The pink-haired girl, who was playing with the man's strangely styled hair, seemed really familiar to Karin. She tried to remember where she had seen her before, but could come up with nothing.

_Great_, Karin grumbled to herself. _That's going to bother me all day._

"I hope you all have a good year," the old man said, bringing Karin out of her reverie.

The newly inducted students all clapped politely, and the ceremony was over. All of the students talked amongst themselves, and none of the Gotei Thirteen remained on the stage.

"Boring, huh?"

Karin turned to see Rukia next to her, Ichigo at her side.

"It usually is," Rukia continued. "But at least this way no one has to take a stupid class on the history of the Academy."

"I found it quite interesting," Yuzu piped up.

"Yeah, well you _always_ find this stuff interesting," Karin scoffed. "What I want to know is, when do we get to beat people up?"

Rukia laughed, but Ichigo and Yuzu didn't seem to find her so funny. Neither did her father, who appeared out of nowhere, gasping. "_Karin-chan_," he gaped. "Why must you be so violent? You're just like your idiot brother."

Ichigo scowled, swinging at Isshin and missing. "Wherever could we have gotten that from?"

That sparked a fight. Isshin tried to drop-kick Ichigo, and soon the two were shunpoing around, suddenly in a friendly spar. Students backed out of the way hurriedly. They eyed Karin curiously, wondering why she was surrounded by so many important people, and why two taichos were suddenly fighting around her.

She could tell that her family was going to make going to the Academy a _breeze._

Yeah, right.

Yuzu looked on worriedly, but Rukia rolled her eyes. "This will probably take a while. Do you want me to show you two to the dorms?"

"Don't forget about us!" a voice said from Karin's other side. She jumped, turning to find Matsumoto and Hitsugaya suddenly there.

"What is it with you fucking shinigami and sneaking up on people?" Karin yelled.

Matsumoto laughed, but didn't answer her. "I want to come to the dorms too! I haven't been in years. I can show you guys all the best spots."

"I've got some good spots too," Rukia winked.

"Really? You guys would really do that for us?" Yuzu asked.

Matsumoto scoffed. "Of course! I remember when I was in the Academy—"

And suddenly, Rukia and Matsumoto were animately talking about their Academy days, Yuzu listening with enthusiasm.

Karin turned, noticing the Kurosaki men still causing a scene further in the crowd. She was sighing, annoyed, when she noticed Hitsugaya looking at her.

For a second, she had forgotten that he was there. Now, it was just the two of them.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," he responded.

Silence. _Boy, we sure are a lively pair._ "So, big day's finally here, huh? Are you going to help us move in?"

A snowy eyebrow rose. "What do you have to move in? All of your stuff is still at my place."

"Oh." She hadn't even thought about that. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I guess I'll just pick it all up before we head over."

Hitsugaya broke eye contact, choosing instead to look off to the side. "Don't worry about it. You can even...take whatever you need and leave the rest."

Karin blinked. "What?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's not as if I was using that room anyway. So...you can keep your stuff there. It's yours for as long as you need it."

Emotion swelled in her gut. He wasn't kicking her out—he was giving her an open invitation. She hadn't realized how much she had thought of Hitsugaya's place as _hers_ too, as her _home_. And he had left it open, almost as if he had realized that.

Karin couldn't help herself. She knew that it wasn't a good idea, that her family was _right there_ and so were hundreds of strangers, that that psycho bitch was probably lurking, but she didn't care.

She hugged him, standing on her toes a little and reaching her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she murmured into his neck. "Thanks for _everything_, Toshiro. I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you."

He was initially surprised, his body rigid. But after a few seconds, she felt his arms slowly encircle her waist.

And he was hugging her back.

The seconds started to tick by, and with each one, any notion of this being a "friendly hug" went away.

Karin knew it was wrong, but she just didn't want to let go! He smelled so good, and he was so close, and for once she could pretend that he loved _her_, that he was _her_ boyfriend.

But it was getting harder and harder to distinguish the "friendliness" of the hug, and she knew that she had to. Who knew who was looking at them, and who knew how awkward she was making it for him by clinging to him.

She started to pull away, retracting her arms, but suddenly his head lowered, his lips next to her ear.

"I have to tell you something."

Karin blinked, stepping slowly out of his embrace and looking him in the eye. He had that weird look about him again, like he was nervous. It was strange to see him that way, considering he was always cool as a cucumber. "What is it?"

He was silent again, seemingly gathering his thoughts. His face was starting to flush slightly.

It was then that Karin saw it over his shoulder. It was fleeting, disappearing into the crowd, but she _knew_ that she had seen it.

"I just wanted to tell you that I—"

"Hold on a sec, Toshiro," she interrupted, dashing around him.

She heard Hitsugaya calling after her—"Wait, where are you..."—but she hurried on, pushing past people, sure that if she didn't, she would lose it.

And then she saw it again. The hair that she would recognize anywhere.

The curly brown hair that she knew would be in his eyes, because it always was.

She caught up to the boy, tapping his shoulder through his blue uniform.

He turned.

And she looked into the eyes of Sasaki Daisuke.

* * *

**A/N: Why, yes. I am evil. Hahahaha**

**Go on, press the review button and let me have it. You know that you want to.**


	31. Chapter 31

***Author comes back from dead* Oh my gosh! I am once again sorry for making you wait so long for an update! Please forgive me! It was a mixture of life getting in the way, writer's block, and scattered thoughts. I know that waiting so long ruins your reading experience-I'm sure you don't even remember what's going on anymore. Hopefully, a little recap will help.**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chappie! I really appreciate it! ^_^ And a surprising number of people didn't remember who Daisuke was. To be fair, it's been a while. XD**

**Okay, since a lot has happened with Bleach since I last updated, I'll try to be concise (spoilers for anyone not up to date on manga):**

**1.) I LOVE Ichi's longer hair! Seriously, it should have stayed that way, because it upped his sexy factor at least by 150%, and THAT is sayin' somethin'! ^_^ 2.) I'm glad that Aizen's finally put away and all, but I was kind of dissatisfied with the end of that arc. There are still so many questions left unanswered. 3.)Speaking of the end of the arc...OMG ICHIRUKI GOODNESS! I swear to God, Ichigo looked like he was going to cry when Rukia disappeared. (Although, couldn't she just put on a gigai? It wasn't like he **_**couldn't**_** see her again...) I seriously think they should just make out already. 4.) Although it started off promising, I'm not feeling the new arc. I was excited about the timeskip (YAY, older twins! XD ), and not so excited about Tatsuki's mullet, but now I think it's taking a turn for the ridiculous. (The arc, not the mullet. Although, that's pretty ridiculous too.) Anyone else? Rukia should just come back so that there can be an IchiRuki reunion-because honestly, those have always been **_**great**_**.**

**Okay! Let's start!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would have been slaughtered by rabid fans by now, considering the amount of time it's taking me to spit out chapters.**

**

* * *

**

**Previously:**

_**"I have to tell you something."**_

_**Karin blinked, stepping slowly out of his embrace and looking him in the eye. He had that weird look about him again, like he was nervous. It was strange to see him that way, considering he was always cool as a cucumber. "What is it?"**_

_**He was silent again, seemingly gathering his thoughts. His face was starting to flush slightly.**_

_**It was then that Karin saw it over his shoulder. It was fleeting, disappearing into the crowd, but she knew that she had seen it.**_

_**"I just wanted to tell you that I—"**_

_**"Hold on a sec, Toshiro," she interrupted, dashing around him.**_

_**She heard Hitsugaya calling after her—"Wait, where are you..."—but she hurried on, pushing past people, sure that if she didn't, she would lose it.**_

_**And then she saw it again. The hair that she would recognize anywhere. **_

_**The curly brown hair that she knew would be in his eyes, because it always was.**_

_**She caught up to the boy, tapping his shoulder through his blue uniform.**_

_**He turned.**_

_**And she looked into the eyes of Sasaki Daisuke.**_

* * *

He wasn't sure what had happened.

One second, he was hugging her. She had just wanted a friendly hug, thanking him for everything that he'd done, and somehow he had turned it into something much more. He was reluctant in letting her go, completely content in the way that the top of her head fit under his chin just so. The next second, he felt the urge to finally tell her his feelings.

She had looked up at him, onyx eyes boring into his, and then she suddenly ran away, right before he had the chance to confess.

He was baffled. Clearly, the gods enjoyed laughing over his expense.

Hitsugaya sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. _This is ridiculous! I'm going to tell her!_ Determined, he took off running, following the location of her reiatsu.

The crowd of students parted for him, taken aback by the captain's intensity. And then, there she was.

She was laughing, her arms wrapped around the neck of some boy. The boy patted her back, a grin on his face.

She seemed to sense him then, turning around to look at him excitedly. "Toshiro, look! It's Daisuke!"

He recognized him now. He was one of the boys that had lived with Karin in Rukongai. "I see," he responded carefully.

Karin whipped her head back to the boy. "What are you _doing_ here?" she asked in awe.

Daisuke's eyes twinkled, a corner of his mouth lifting in mirth. He slung his arm over her shoulders. "What, you want me to leave? And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."

She scoffed, pushing him playfully. "I _am_ happy to see you, you baka."

And Hitsugaya could tell that the boy was _more_ than happy to see her. The way he smiled at her, the way his eyes lit up, the way he reached over to casually muss her hair.

Hitsugaya's stomach clenched, jealousy ripping through him.

He felt like the third wheel.

But he couldn't bring himself to leave.

* * *

"I _am_ happy to see you, you baka," Karin retorted. "I just didn't expect to see you _here_. What gives?"

"I took the test, and I passed." Daisuke shrugged.

Karin looked at him blankly. "What test?"

"The reiatsu test," Hitsugaya said cooly.

Karin blinked, having momentarily forgotten he was there. She angled herself towards him. "What test?" she repeated.

"A little before the start of a new Academy semester, some shinigami get sent into Rukongai to judge if there are any souls with higher-than-normal levels of reiatsu," Hitsugaya explained. "These souls are then offered places into the Academy."

"I never took any test," Karin scoffed. "What's up with that?"

A snowy eyebrow rose. "You didn't have to take a test. You burned a house down. That's proof enough."

Karin scratched her head sheepishly. "But what about Yuzu?"

"Yuzu took it. She passed."

"Yuzu?" Daisuke asked politely.

Karin turned back to him. "Oh! I forgot! You haven't met my family yet." She smiled. "Yuzu's my twin sister."

Daisuke grinned. "I don't think the world can handle another you."

Karin smirked. "Asshole! She's nothing like me. We're fraternal. And I've got an older brother too, and a nutjob of a father."

"Wow." Daisuke nodded, apparently impressed that she had actual blood relatives. "Anyone else that I have to meet?"

Karin clicked her tongue, realizing that the list of people she felt close to was expanding. "Well, there's Rukia. She married my brother, so technically she's my sister in law, but she's practically my sister in everywhere that counts. And there's…"

Her voice trailed off as her attention was once again brought to Hitsugaya, who was standing off to the side. She hurried to him, grasping his arm and dragging him. His eyes widened in surprise.

"You guys haven't been introduced," she said.

"We've met," Hitsugaya said cooly.

Karin frowned at his standoffish attitude. "Not formally, you haven't." She turned to Daisuke. "Daisuke, this is Hitsugaya Toshiro, Tenth Division captain. He's—" _the guy I've been in love with pretty much my entire life._ "—my best friend."

Hitsugaya bowed his head slightly, polite. But Karin could still notice the frosty manner in which he was acting. _What's his problem?_ she thought, getting more and more annoyed.

"And this is Sasaki Daisuke," Karin continued anyway. "He was with me during my time in Rukongai. He's...well, he's my best friend too."

Daisuke bowed, much lower than Hitsugaya had. "It's nice to meet you, Hitsugaya-taicho," he said cheerily.

Hitsugaya did not answer, just nodded his head slightly. Daisuke's smile faltered a little.

Karin turned her eyes angrily to Hitsugaya, but her glare didn't perturb him. He just continued to look everywhere but at Daisuke. "I'm sorry," Karin ground out, turning back to Daisuke apologetically. "He's not usually this rude. He's just wary of meeting new people. Once you get to know him, he's a great guy."

Hitsugaya's eyes flashed, but Karin ignored him.

"Oh, no problem." Daisuke smiled at her. "Just like Ryo, right?"

"Right!" She answered happily. She searched the crowd. "By the way, where _are_ Shin and Ryo?"

Daisuke lowered his gaze. "Still in Rukongai," he said quietly. "They didn't pass the test."

Karin's excitement disappeared. Her friends were still living in that hellhole, while Daisuke and herself lived luxuriously in comparison.

"I didn't want to leave them," Daisuke said quickly. "We had been together so long...but Shin said that I would have had a better chance finding you if I weren't stuck in Rukongai. He misses you, you know. Ryo too, even though he never says so."

Karin laughed half-heartedly. "I know he does." She was suddenly hit the urge to go see her friends, and she grabbed Daisuke's arm, determined. "But we can go and see them when we have time off."

Daisuke sounded relieved. "You're right."

And Karin fully planned on it. Because, even though she had regained her memories, the boys still felt like her family as well.

"Sasaki."

Karin turned in surprise at the sound of Hitsugaya's voice. It was the first thing he had said to Daisuke.

Daisuke turned as well. "Yes, taicho?"

"It is time for housing assignments," Hitsugaya said indifferently, still not looking Daisuke in the eye.

Daisuke's eyes widened. "You're right! Sorry, Kurosaki. I've got to go!"

Karin blinked at his sudden hurriedness. "Okay, no prob."

He scratched his head sheepishly. "It's just...well, it won't look good if we're late to our first 'assignment,' will it? You should head over to the girls' dorms as well."

Karin nodded. "No, you're right. Go on ahead; I'll catch up with you later."

Daisuke smiled again, ruffling her hair. Then, with a slight bow to Hitsugaya, he hurried away.

Karin watched his retreating form for a few seconds. Then, she slowly turned to Hitsugaya. "What the _fuck_ was that?" she asked darkly.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in surprise at her tone. "What are you talking about?"

"You _know_ what I'm talking about!" Her onyx eyes flashed, and she marched up to him, getting right in his face. "Usually you're a little unfriendly, but you just crossed the line into being a total ass!"

Hitsugaya's face was void of emotion, but Karin could see a little anger spark in his eyes. "I was civil."

"You were an _ass_!" she spat.

"Karin-chan~!"

In the distance, Karin noticed Yuzu, standing with Matsumoto and Rukia, waving at her. She sighed, stepping out of Hitsugaya's personal bubble.

"Daisuke's my friend," she sighed quietly. "You could at least not be rude."

And then she walked away.

* * *

She was mad at him.

_She was _mad _at him!_

He watched as she walked towards her sister, Yuzu talking adamantly about something that he couldn't hear.

Honestly, he was _civil_, wasn't he? Besides, even Hitsugaya knew that he wasn't the friendliest person in the world. What had Karin expected him to do, hug the boy and become his best friend?

Hitsugaya felt himself seething, his anger more at the situation than at Karin herself. It was obvious that this Sasaki Daisuke had more feelings for Karin than he was letting on. He kept touching her, for Kami's sake! Ruffling her hair, slinging his arm over her shoulders. And the way he kept looking at her!

And she just _let_ him!

Hitsugaya barely noticed the growling in his head as he watched Karin laugh with Yuzu. And it wasn't until a face blocked his view of the twins leaving with Rukia that he realized he was staring.

"Penny for your thoughts, taicho?" Matsumoto said, grinning.

Hitsugaya scoffed.

But Matsumoto wasn't deterred. She seemed to be in a good mood. "So," she continued, the word drawing out several syllables, "how'd it go with Karin-chan?"

He felt his anger flare again, and pursed his lips, annoyed at the question. "Fine."

Matsumoto's smile drooped a little. "Fine," she repeated. "Just fine? Didn't either of you...say something important?"

Alarms went off in his head. She was onto him. Was he that obvious? Keeping his face impassive, he responded, "She thanked me for helping out her and her family."

Matsumoto looked at him with confusion. "And you didn't say anything…?"

"Of course I did," he scoffed, watching her eyes light up with anticipation. "I said, 'You're welcome.'"

Matsumoto stared at him for a second. Then, she let out a huge sigh, exasperated. "You two are impossible," she mumbled.

"What was that, Matsumoto?"

"I said, I need a drink."

* * *

The room was decent. It was a little bigger than their old bedroom, but it was nothing special—it looked just like the dorm rooms that she had seen at the university Ichigo used to attend. Two beds, two dressers, etc.

Yuzu ended up being her roommate.

Because they had decided to enter the Academy after housing assignments were already made, Karin and her twin ended up in the same room. It didn't bother her, as it reminded her of when they were little, and she knew that she would need Yuzu's support if things got too hard.

Now, however, as she tried to get some sleep before her first day, Yuzu was being anything but supportive.

"Karin-chan!"

"Yu, we have to get up really early tomorrow. Go to sleep."

Karin could practically hear her pout. "But what about our sisterly bonding time?"

It was what they called their late-night talks. But Karin was exhausted; it had been a long day, and she was not exactly a morning person. The more sleep she got, the less likely she was to bite someone's head off.

You could get in trouble for that, right? At least detention. Did they even _have_ detention in Soul Society?

"Karin-chan."

"Can't it wait until morning, Yu?"

"Please?"

She could see them—Yuzu's puppy-dog eyes. It was too dark to physically see them, but it didn't matter—they had already been permanently burned onto the back of her eyelids over the years to use for future reference.

Karin groaned. "Okay. Shoot."

Karin knew that her twin was grinning in victory. "So, how did it go? You know, after Rukia-nee and I left."

Karin's eyebrows knotted in confusion. _What kind of question is that?_ "Fine, I guess. Oh, Daisuke's here! Remember, my friend from Rukongai that I told you about? He's enrolling in the Academy too."

"Really? That's so nice, Karin-chan!" She paused. "What about Hitsugaya-kun?"

"What about him?" Karin snorted. "He was a douche and gave Daisuke his I'm-holier-than-thou routine."

"Maybe he felt left out," Yuzu suggested.

"Left out?" Karin scoffed. "I've practically been his fucking shadow for almost a month, and when I decide to talk to someone else for five fucking minutes he feels _left out_? I was pretty sure I wasn't going to see Daisuke again, so excuse me for not paying attention to _the_ Hitsugaya Toshiro!"

Yuzu was silent, and Karin was sure that twin bonding time was over. Then, she said, "He didn't tell you anything?"

Karin sat up in bed, looking at her sister's shape. "What do you mean?"

"Well...while we were standing there, it looked like he wanted to tell you something, so Rukia-nee and Rangiku-san and I…"

"Decided to look at the 'best spots in the dorms,'" Karin finished for her. "Wow, Yuzu. Way to set me up."

Yuzu laughed nervously. "So...did he say anything?"

Karin thought back to then. Hitsugaya had wanted to tell her something, and he was _so close_, and…

She had run away.

_Ugh_, she thought to herself. _But_, she reasoned, _i__f it was anything important, he would have still told me_.

"Karin-chan?" Yuzu called in the darkness, shaking Karin from her thoughts.

"No," Karin answered. "He didn't say anything. Nothing important anyway."

Yuzu sighed. "Well, okay then." Karin could hear the sheets rustling as Yuzu turned over. "You're right, it is late. We should get some sleep."

And after saying goodnight to her twin, Karin could have sworn she heard her mumbling about "wasted opportunities."

* * *

**A/N: What did you think? Let me know. ^_~**

**Oh, and to any Naruto fans—I have started another fic called _Into the Future_. If you like random hilarity, be sure to check it out! *end of shameless plug***


	32. Chapter 32

**Woot! Update! =D**

**Yes, I know it's been a while, and yes, I am once again sorry, but as much as I love writing about these two, my muse has been elsewhere as of late. What does this mean, you ask? Well, it just means that apparently updates aren't going to be coming as steadily as I had hoped. That is not to say that I'm dropping this fic, because I am most definitely **_**not**_**. Hitsukarin angst is just going to keep plaguing my mind until I write down the whole damn thing. However many chapters _that_ ends up being.**

**So with that in mind, please bear with me, dear readers, and please understand. ^_^**

**Okay, Let's just get on with it!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, there would have been an Ichiruki reunion already. Because this "Riruka" is just getting on my nerves. (Although I understand Kubo's point of view...when Rukia does come back, it will epically EPIC.)**

* * *

"It's not hard. Everyone give it a try," Takeda-sensei said.

Karin looked at Daisuke, who was sitting across from her. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Daisuke smirked. "You have to learn sometime. It's a graduation requirement."

Karin glared at his mirth. "Don't you remember what happened last week?"

Daisuke looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I don't quite recall."

Karin scoffed. "Liar. I set your hair on fire."

Daisuke grinned. "Go on. Gather your reiatsu into your hand, and then just let it go."

She sighed, noticing the probing eyes of Reika and her posse on her.

Ono Reika was a classmate who had hated Karin since she enrolled. She constantly bitched that Karin was treated differently by all the sensei because of her parentage, and apparently resented her for that. She would hate Yuzu too, if it wasn't for the fact that no one in their right mind could hate Yuzu.

Karin hated bitchy people, so if the curly-haired blond didn't want to be besties, that was fine with her.

Oh, and let's not forget the fact that Reika was an avid Hitsugaya fangirl. Not that this bothered Karin in the slightest.

Nope.

"Karin," Daisuke tried again, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Okay, but I warned you," she snapped, gathering the reiatsu into her hands. "...Sai."

Immediately, Daisuke's was forced to the floor with a _thud_, arms behind his back.

Karin stood over him warily, waiting.

"You did it!" Daisuke puffed, lifting his head with effort to look at her.

Karin continued to look at him, the sounds of other students succumbing to the kido filling the air. "And you're not on fire. Or bleeding."

"And I still have all my hair," Daisuke replied cheekily.

Karin finally allowed herself a grin. "That was only one time," she scoffed, "and it grew back." Her eyes shone, happy with her accomplishment. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yup," Daisuke mumbled into the ground. "I'm just fine and dandy. This floor smells terrible, just so you know—ow."

Karin's eyes widened. "Ow? What do you mean, ow?"

Daisuke winced. "There's just this little pain in my—OW! OW!"

Takeda-sensei rushed over with such speed, it was clear that she had been watching them and waiting for something to go wrong.

"I'm sorry!" Karin yelled, her pride once again deflated. "I told you this wasn't a good idea!"

Takeda-sensei sighed, releasing the kido. "What did you do _this_ time, Kurosaki?"

"Nothing, sensei! I did everything I was supposed to!" Vaguely, Karin could hear Reika snickering.

Bitch.

Daisuke groaned, released from the spell, but making no move to get off the floor. He hissed as Takeda-sensei lifted him into a sitting position, babying his arms as she did so.

"A little much, Kurosaki." Her sensei shook her head. Her mousey-brown hair was still in its impeccable bun, and her studious glasses still made her look like an authoritative figure. But as she looked at Karin, she appeared distinctly tired. "You've dislocated both of his shoulders."

Karin's stomach dropped. "Daisuke. I am _so_ sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Daisuke gave her a little smile that quickly morphed its way into a cringe. "By the time we graduate, my threshold for pain will be through the roof."

"You're not funny," Karin retorted, but she couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto her face. "Is he going to be okay, sensei?"

Takeda-sensei sighed. "No worse than usual. I'll take him over to the Fourth Division and he'll be good as new." She peered over her glasses at her. "_You_, on the other hand, need serious practice. Although I don't know who in their right mind would practice with you."

"I have no problem practicing with her," Daisuke said, wincing.

Takeda-sensei looked at him over her glasses. "Yes, well seeing as you clearly have masochistic tendencies, I don't think that you qualify as someone in their right mind."

"I said I was sorry," Karin grumbled. "No need to rub it in, sensei. I'm trying."

Takeda nodded, exhaling slowly. "I know you are, Kurosaki. But maybe you should get someone in your family to help you. That kido spell is the simplest one, and if you can't even do that—"

"I'll be sure to ask," Karin interrupted.

_Ugh._ Two weeks in and she _already_ needed a tutor.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Takeda-sensei lifted Daisuke by his middle, careful not to touch his lax arms. "Let's go, Sasaki."

"I'll see you in Swordsmanship," Daisuke called over his shoulder at her as the teacher led him away.

Convincing herself not to knock the living daylights out of the still sniggering Reika, Karin nodded.

* * *

As she made her way to the Fifth Division, Karin could honestly see why Reika didn't like her. Even though it was strictly forbidden to leave Academy grounds during school hours, Karin constantly did so, and no one ever said a word to her about it.

To be fair, however, it wasn't like Karin was taking advantage of the situation. She used to do the same thing in high school all the time, sneaking out to take care of a Hollow, or sometimes just to get away. It just so happened that no one in Soul Society wanted to reprimand her for it. It wasn't her fault.

And it also wasn't her fault that her free period was scheduled after her lunch.

So while Karin understood where Reika was coming from, she wasn't going to sit and take her bullshit. It wasn't as if she had asked for the special treatment.

Huffing indignantly to herself, Karin walked up the steps to her brother's house. She was meeting Rukia and Matsumoto here for lunch, as she did frequently, as both Yuzu and Daisuke had different lunch periods than she did.

She didn't bother to knock, instead opening the door slowly—just in case she was interrupting Sexy Time.

It's happened before.

Instead of scrambling bodies, she was greeted to the sight of Ichigo, his head poking out of the kitchen and a sandwich in his mouth.

"Ichi-nii!" Karin said cheerfully, closing the door behind her.

Ichigo looked perplexed. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" he mumbled around his sandwich.

"Yup." Karin plopped onto the couch. "But alas, I'm no good at kido, so they expelled me."

Ichigo's amber eyes widened slightly. Sighing, he put the sandwich back on its plate and sat down on the couch next to her. "What?"

Karin snorted. "Relax, bro. I was just kidding. About me getting expelled, I mean. I really do suck at kido."

Ichigo stared at her blankly. "So you came _here_ to ask _me_ for help? You _do _realize that I am the worst kido user in the history of man."

"Not anymore, you're not. I just dislocated both of my partner's shoulders." She reached out, stealing his sandwich and taking a bite. "And I wasn't asking _you_ for help. I wanted to see Rukia."

Ichigo glared at her, snatching the sandwich back. "Well, you could try. But Rukia's been sick lately. I don't know if she'll be up to it."

Karin made another attempt to swipe the sandwich, but Ichigo and his long arms kept it out of her reach. "Sick?"

"Get your own damn sandwich," he snapped, stuffing the last quarter of it into his mouth. "And yes. Sick. I can ask Hinamori to help you if you want."

Karin stiffened. "No, that's okay."

"It won't be a problem, Karin." He got up and headed back into the kitchen to put his plate in the sink. "She's a kido master, you know. Why do you think it was the _Fifth_ Division that I got assigned to?"

She was lucky that Ichigo was in the other room, because the thought of going to Hinamori for tutoring was making her feel pretty sick as well. "We don't get along Ichi-nii. Leave it alone."

Ichigo's head popped around the corner again. "What do you mean, you don't get along? She always seems friendly enough to me. Do you need me to talk to her or something?"

"I mean, _we don't get along_," Karin growled. "Leave it alone."

Ichigo raised both of his hands, submitting. "Okay. I won't say anything. Chill."

They looked at each other silently then, Ichigo clearly trying to figure out what was wrong with his suddenly moody sister.

"So are you going to go get the Mrs. or what?" Karin asked.

Ichigo kept looking at her, his brow furrowed. But he still yelled, "Oi! Midget!" down the hallway.

"_What_, you insufferable strawberry?" Rukia yelled back, annoyance clear in her voice. She emerged from the bathroom, still in her Chappy pajamas, hair mussed and skin looking clammy. At the sight of Karin, her pissed-off face turned into one much more pleasant. "Hey, Karin."

Karin raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with _you_?"

"I'm pretty sure I have the flu." Rukia grimaced.

Karin opened her mouth, about to inform her that it was most likely _not_ the flu, but the front door opened again, this time announcing the arrival of one Matsumoto Rangiku.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Ichigo said rudely.

Matsumoto rolled her eyes. "Lunch, clearly." She looked at Rukia, her eyes lighting up at her friend's appearance. "How's Ichi-chan today?" she asked snidely.

Rukia glared, and Karin squelched the urge to laugh out loud.

Ichigo looked at her as if she had just grown another head. "I'm fine, Rangiku-san."

Matsumoto grinned. "I wasn't asking _you._ I was asking—"

"Ichigo," Rukia interrupted, simultaneously glaring at her friend. "You're going to be late."

Ichigo glanced at the clock on the wall. "Shit. You're right." Picking up his captain's haori from the back of a chair, he gave Rukia a quick peck on the forehead. "Don't forget to take your medicine. It should stop the nausea."

"Nausea," Karin repeated incredulously.

"Yup," Rukia replied through her teeth. "That's what happens when you have the _flu_."

Ichigo watched the exchange curiously, but didn't have time to comment on it. Giving Karin a last look, he opened the front door. "I'll see you guys later."

"Bye!" the three waved as he closed the door behind him.

Instantly, Karin rounded on Rukia. "I brought you _this_," she started, holding up a jar of red bean paste, "but I'm assuming you don't want it."

Rukia looked green.

"You do realize that I lived in a clinic my entire life," Karin continued, shaking her head, "and therefore am very attuned to the fact that both strange cravings and nausea are symptoms of pregnancy."

Rukia looked like she was having a battle with her gag reflex. "I can't be pregnant. It's—"

"Highly unlikely, insert bogus statistics, blah blah blah," Karin interrupted. "I don't see what the problem is with taking a pregnancy test."

"I'm not sure if there _are _any pregnancy tests," Rukia replied.

"Well, I'm sure they have at least one," Karin retorted. "If not, Rangiku can go to the real world and get you a stupid stick to pee on."

"Ooh," Matsumoto murmured happily. "I smell a shopping trip."

"Fine," Rukia sulked, plopping on the couch and crossing her arms in front of her chest childishly. "But when it says I'm not, you two have to leave me alone."

"Fair enough." Karin sat down beside her. "So, what's for lunch?"

"Ugh," Rukia moaned, eyes closed. "No food."

"That's fine with me!" Matsumoto laughed, uncovering a whole sake bottle from between her breasts. "Look what I brought!"

Karin's eyebrow's went up. _How does she do that? _"Rangiku, it's noon."

"I know, I know, I started late today." She pouted. "But taicho was all, 'Matsumoto, _do your paperwork! _Matsumoto, _stop drinking in the office! Do your paperwork! _Matsumoto, _are you _seriously_ drinking in the bathroom?_'" Matsumoto scowled. "Killjoy."

Karin laughed. "Yeah, he tends to fit that description."

"But he's not here now!" Matsumoto said gleefully. "So bottom's up! Except for you, preggo."

Rukia sighed deeply. "I'm not—"

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Matsumoto waved her hand dismissively. "Now, what color are you going to paint the nursery?"

"I think that yellow is pretty gender neutral," Karin commented. "Just in case our Ichi-chan is really a Ruki-chan."

"Ooh!" Matsumoto squealed. "If it's a girl, can we name her Rangiku?"

Rukia looked upward in defeat. "I would like it to be known that I hate both of you."

"Duly noted," Karin laughed.

Rukia sighed. "I heard you telling Ichigo that you wanted to ask me something. What was it?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with my kido," Karin said hopefully. "I'm ridiculously bad at it. I just dislocated both of Daisuke's arms."

"Ouch," Matsumoto commented.

"I _would_ help," Rukia replied apologetically. "But this flu has my kido all out of whack. I don't know how much help I would be. Maybe your dad could help you." She cringed immediately at the thought. "Sorry. Stupid idea."

Karin sighed. "I don't know who else to ask! Neither Yuzu nor my sensei know how to help me. I just don't get it."

"I would help you, but I don't have the time," Matsumoto commented. "But do you know who could schedule you in right between 'finish paperwork' and 'be a buzzkill'? Tai~cho!"

Karin laughed in spite of herself. "Yeah, well I'm still not talking to him."

"_Still?_" Rukia said incredulously. "Karin, it's been two weeks."

"And I have yet to hear an apology," Karin said stubbornly. "Now, are we going to eat lunch or what?"

"Okay." Matsumoto raised her eyebrows. "But I would make up with him if I were you."

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay for you to be swinging that thing around?" Karin asked skeptically.

Daisuke grinned, holding his bokken up triumphantly. "Yup! Good as new. Fourth Division really knows what it's doing." He looked up thoughtfully. "Although, they seem to find it funny that I keep ending up there."

Karin groaned. "I _said_ I was sorry, okay? No need to rub it in."

He laughed, his brown eyes crinkling in mirth. "I'm just kidding, Kurosaki," he replied, patting her hair affectionately.

Karin pretended to scowl at him, slapping his hand away and smoothing her ponytail back into order. "Let's just get to practicing."

They settled into battle stances, taking turns practicing the attacks and blocks that they had been taught.

_This_ was were Karin excelled. She loved the adrenaline rush, the loud clatter of bokken as they clashed. She had the instinct, the foresight—

But apparently not enough. Her jaw dropped, and she was so distracted that pure instinct was the only thing keeping Daisuke from whacking her on the head with his wooden sword.

What the _fuck_ was _he_ doing here?

Daisuke stopped advancing, noticing that her attention was elsewhere. He turned, trying to see what she was looking at.

Hitsugaya Toshiro, talking to Mizuno-sensei as if it were perfectly normal for him to be _here_, in _her_ class!

Daisuke smiled crookedly "I guess it's time for Instruction!" he told her excitedly.

Instruction. Every so often, ranked shinigami would get assigned an Academy class to look over, to assist, to give pointers to. It appeared that Karin's Swordsmanship class was chosen for this rare opportunity.

However, usually the shinigami sent were third- or fourth-seats, occasionally a fukutaicho. Taicho were rarely obligated to assist in this task.

_So why was he here?_

Aquamarine eyes met onyx ones.

"I can't believe we got Hitsugaya-taicho!" Daisuke continued, oblivious to his friend's inner angst. "He can really help me with my technique! Mizuno-sensei says that my footwork is usually all wrong, and…"

Karin wasn't listening to him anymore. All she could think of was how adamant Matsumoto had been that she make up with Hitsugaya. Clearly, she had known that it was _Karin's_ class that Hitsugaya had been assigned to.

_And she didn't even warn me! _Karin thought mopily.

_Bitch.

* * *

_

**A/N: "What?" you say? Hitsu and Karin training together? Getting all hot and bothered and sweaty?**

**To which I can only reply: Oh. YES. ;)**

**Review review! Let me know what you think. ^_^**


	33. Chapter 33

**Yes! Update! :D**

**I'm not going to lie, aside from school and my wandering attention span, I had a really hard time writing this chapter. I love writing romance, I love writing angst, but fight scenes? Definitely not my thing. Because of that, it took **_**forever!**_** But I guess that doesn't matter much because the chapter is here! And I'm excited about it! ;D**

**Okay, one random thing. Although I am up to date on the manga, I only watch the Bleach anime occasionally nowadays. That's why, when one of you reviewers let me know about Episode 316 and I watched it- I DIED. It was sooo great! XD And it completely proved my theory that the animators totally ship certain pairings, and they love to play with them in filler episodes. (Can anyone say Ichiruki sink rape in the Bounto Arc? XD) Thank you, animators, for shipping the epic Hitsukarin.**

**Okay! Let's get this show on the road!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, this new manga arc wouldn't be happening. (Seriously, Kubo, you're ruining what made the series great. :'( )**

* * *

**Last time:**

_**Instruction. Every so often, ranked shinigami would get assigned an Academy class to look over, to assist, to give pointers to. It appeared that Karin's Swordsmanship class was chosen for this rare opportunity.**_

_**However, usually the shinigami sent were third- or fourth-seats, occasionally a fukutaicho. Taicho were rarely obligated to assist in this task.**_

_**So why was he here?**_

_**Aquamarine eyes met onyx ones.**_

_**"I can't believe we got Hitsugaya-taicho!" Daisuke continued, oblivious to his friend's inner angst. "He can really help me with my technique! Mizuno-sensei says that my footwork is usually all wrong, and…"**_

_**Karin wasn't listening to him anymore. All she could think of was how adamant Matsumoto had been that she make up with Hitsugaya. Clearly, she had known that it was Karin's class that Hitsugaya had been assigned to.**_

_**And she didn't even warn me! Karin thought mopily.**_

_**Bitch.**_

* * *

"Okay, class," Mizuno-sensei said loudly, getting the attention of everyone in the room. He was smiling, something that Karin had previously thought was impossible. Mizuno always looked like he smelled something nasty. "Our class has been chosen for Instruction."

Excited whispers echoed around the room. Karin inwardly sighed.

_Of all the times...of all the _classes_…_

"I am Hitsugaya-taicho," the current bane of her existence said cooly, involuntarily sending a shiver up Karin's spine. He nodded his head in greeting. "Please continue what you were doing. I'll be around to provide assistance."

Daisuke turned towards her excitedly. "Isn't this great? How often do you get the chance to train with a captain?"

Karin, annoyed, almost retorted that both her father and brother were captains, and two of her good friends were fukutaichos, so she really didn't need stupid Toshiro to train with her—

Instead, she sulkily lifted her bokken. "Come on. It's still your turn to advance."

Daisuke attacked while she blocked, then she attacked while he blocked, and then they switched again. There were ten pairs in the class, and Hitsugaya seemed to be taking his time going through each one. Despite not wanting to give him any attention, Karin found her eyes constantly looking in his direction.

"Hey," Daisuke said quietly, startling her out of her reverie, "I'm over _here_."

Karin sighed guiltily. "I'm sorry."

But Daisuke only winked at her. "I understand perfectly."

She felt her face flush. "I-I—"

"It must be weird being friends with a taicho." He patted her shoulder sympathetically, watching as Hitsugaya demonstrated the proper bokken hold to an overly-enthusiastic girl. "I'm sure you forget how important he really is. This must be crazy!"

Karin nodded mutely, trying to will her blush down.

_He_ _still doesn't know._

Not that she was trying to keep her feelings for Hitsugaya a secret. She had just not been prepared to be called out on them, and her knee-jerk reaction was to deny deny _deny_.

"Look on the bright side." Daisuke grinned again, tapping her playfully with his bokken. "You're totally set in the help department. And you're definitely going to need it."

She grinned back, crouching down into a battle stance and dashing at him. He hadn't been expecting the attack, and their bokken clumsily clashed as he attempted to block. He stumbled backwards.

"Your feet weren't planted solidly enough," a familiar voice commented.

Immediately, they stopped, turning towards the voice.

"Hitsugaya-taicho!" Daisuke greeted, bowing excitedly.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," Karin echoed.

His eyes widened in surprise. Karin had never seriously called him by his proper title, and even though their current situation called for it, it was still strange. He nodded in acknowledgement. "Sasaki, Kurosaki."

"I'm not usually a pushover, Taicho," Daisuke babbled. "But I wasn't expecting her attack and—"

"You're not going to expect _most_ attacks," Hitsugaya interrupted frankly. "You still need to be prepared for them." Using his foot, he nudged Daisuke's apart slightly. "When you stand, make sure to always distribute your weight evenly onto every part of your foot. That's easier to do when you stand this way."

Hitsugaya was a little shorter than the boy, but it was clear to everyone that he held all the authority. Daisuke ran a hand through his curly hair, a little nervous at Hitsugaya's scrutiny, and listened intently to his instructions. When Hitsugaya suddenly gave him a little shove and he easily gave, stumbling backwards, the tenth taicho sighed.

"It'll become easier once you can control your reiatsu more accurately," the snowy captain continued, taking the bokken from him. "And after a while, it will become second nature. But I'll show you what I'm talking about. Kurosaki, come at me."

Karin started at suddenly being addressed. "What?"

"I want you to attack me." He frowned a little. "But not before you fix your hold."

Karin's hackles raised. Not only had she been vice-captain of her high school soccer team when she was alive, but she had been the captain of the kendo team as well. She _knew_ that her hold was wrong—every kendo teacher she had ever had in the past had told her so—but she had never had a problem kicking ass, so everyone shut up. "I always hold it like this."

Before, the class had been vaguely paying attention to them. Now, everyone had actually stopped practicing, and was staring at them.

Hitsugaya quirked an eyebrow. "Well, it's _wrong_."

Karin grit her teeth. That arrogant _little shit!_ It didn't matter that he was right, it didn't matter that he was a taicho, and it sure as hell didn't matter that she was in class and thus had to adjust her behavior accordingly. All that mattered to Kurosaki Karin in that moment was that she was still pissed off with Hitsugaya Toshiro—and that he had just told her to attack him.

So she did. She sprang at him, giving him no warning.

He had still been prepared for the attack, quickly using the appropriate block. "See?" He turned his head to Daisuke. "I did not fall over, and I was still able to use the appropriate block in time. Now, if you had not been grounded—"

Karin attacked again, aiming for his head. Hitsugaya's arm snapped up reflexively, his weapon effectively protecting his skull from her fury. He turned back to her, teal eyes widened in surprise.

He had _not_ been expecting that.

"Pay attention," Karin growled. "We're fighting."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see mouths dropping, could see Mizuno-sensei, face purple, about to have an aneurysm. But she paid them no mind, looking her opponent straight into his beautiful eyes, and dropping back into her battle stance.

"Kurosaki," Hitsugaya said quietly, "I don't think—"

With a war cry, she lunged. Again and again she attacked, pushing Toshiro closer and closer to the ring of students that had surrounded them. Their bokken clashed loudly, the only sound in the dojo. No longer was Karin following drill exercises; her attacks became so advanced, it was quickly clear to everyone that she was no novice.

With each stroke, she became more enraged. Hitsugaya was making no offensive moves, only blocking hers, and it pissed her off.

"Come on!" she yelled, yet another one of her attacks blocked. "You wanted a fight! _FIGHT ME! TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!_"

And suddenly her back slammed into a wall. Karin blinked, dazed and confused. Her bokken, no longer in her hands, lay on the floor in splinters. She felt Hitsugaya's bokken at her throat, his chest pushing into hers.

If this had been a real fight, she would have been dead.

"You're good," Hitsugaya said quietly, his warm breath misting over her cheek, "but you and I are not at the same level. Don't get cocky."

Her face flushed. She was embarrassed, yes, but it was mostly Hitsugaya's proximity that caused her blush. He was practically on top of her. His rapid heartbeat vibrated against her chest. She could clearly see the beads of sweat trekking down his forehead. She could almost count every fluttering snowy eyelash. And his mouth was _right there_—all she had to do was lift her head slightly and—

Unconsciously, she licked her lips, her gaze unconsciously dropping to said mouth.

"And I'm sorry."

That successfully got her attention, stopping her from being any more of a creeper. Her eyes met his.

"You know how I am sometimes. I'm not the friendliest of people. But I _am_ sorry."

Karin didn't answer him. Because suddenly, despite the coolness of his skin, every part of her that touched him was on fire. She was positive now that his heartbeat was in sync with hers, could swear that his blood flowed into her, and hers into him. At some point, she began holding her breath—but that was okay, because she could feel his lungs filling with air, almost see them expand, and as he inhaled she _breathed_, as if the air had passed her own lips. The air around them sparked, as if electrified. Karin could feel ions zipping about, the electrons circling and circling and looking for something to attach themselves to.

And one glance at Toshiro's face confirmed he was experiencing the same thing she was.

Neither of them spoke, too enraptured by the feelings overcoming them.

It wasn't until she noticed the murmuring that the moment disappeared.

The whole class was looking at them, eyes wide.

"Is that normal?" Daisuke muttered to himself, mouth open in astonishment.

It was then that Karin noticed that no one was looking _at_ them—they were looking _around_ them. Confused, she turned her head slightly, looking at the mirrored wall.

Around them, reiatsu swirled. Reds and oranges danced with blues and whites, touching with a soft caress. Hitsugaya's reflection stared back at her, alarm evident on his face.

"Toshiro," she whispered as he slowly removed the bokken from her neck, "what's happening?"

He took a step back, finally releasing her. He looked away, running a hand through his hair. "I—"

The dojo door slammed open. Everyone's attention was suddenly on a panting Matsumoto.

She barged in, abruptly stopping once she realized all eyes were on her. "Whoops," she giggled. "Sorry for interrupting."

A vein throbbed in Hitsugaya's forehead. "Matsumoto," he growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get Karin-chan!" she responded hurriedly, grabbing Karin by the arm.

"Matsumoto." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, clearly trying to calm his temper. "We are in the middle of class. A class that _you_ were supposed to teach, by the way. What happened to you being sick?"

Matsumoto laughed. "I didn't say _I_ was sick, taicho! I said that _Rukia _was sick—"

"_Matsumoto!_"

"—and that's why you need to come with me Karin-chan. Rukia's in the Fourth Division!"

"What!" Karin interjected, alarmed. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know, I came to get you." She began to pull her towards the door, snagging Hitsugaya's arm as well. "Come on!"  
"Sorry, Mizuno-sensei!" Karin called. "Family emergency!"

The door slammed behind them. Everyone stared at it in confusion.

"What the hell just happened?" Mizuno yelled.

* * *

Rukia was sitting up in her bed, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "Rangiku," she started sweetly. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

Matsumoto shrank back a little at her friend's sudden volume, but smiled, undeterred. "Well, Unohana-taicho told me that I should alert your family—"

"Which meant Ichigo," Rukia snapped. "_Just_ Ichigo."

"But we're worried about you too, nee-chan!" Yuzu said, hurt in her eyes.

"Yeah!" Karin shook her head. "I just saw you an hour ago! What the fuck happened?"

"You don't think of _us_ as family, Rukia-chan?" Isshin asked, clearly about to make a scene.

Rukia's face softened. "Of _course_ you guys are my family. You always have been! It's just—this wasn't that big of a deal, and I didn't need for _all_ of you to be pulled away from your duties."

Ukitake coughed into a handkerchief. "Rukia-chan, you fainted and hit your head on the corner of your desk. That _is_ a big deal."

"It won't happen again, taicho," Rukia responded hurriedly. "It's just this flu! I didn't mean to disrupt the office. I should have stayed home like you told me to."

Ukitake looked at his fukutaicho, his eyes kind. "I'm not worried about the desk, Rukia. I'm worried about _you_."

A sudden burst of reiatsu startled all of them. Rukia sighed. "Ichigo's coming."

"Hot-headed," Hitsugaya muttered. "Still can't control his reiatsu."

Karin blinked, thinking that it was only a few minutes ago that Toshiro's reiatsu was flying everywhere as well. But, feeling her face flush, she didn't say anything.

A low rumble was heard, like a stampede of elephants was coming towards them. However, when the door to the room burst open, it was just Ichigo, eyes widened in fear. He ignored the large crowd in the room, pushing his way to the hospital bed. It wasn't until he saw Rukia, embarrassed and looking back at him, that he exhaled, relief visibly flooding his body. "What happened?" he demanded.

"She fainted and hit her head on her desk," Karin responded, a little put off by how intense her brother was being. "And chill out, bro. She's fine."

Ichigo tried to force himself to do just that, but he couldn't. It was embedded into his being, into his soul—if Rukia was hurt, he had to be there. He had to protect her, he had to save her. She had to be okay. He loved her too much to lose her. If anything ever happened—

He didn't even want to think about it.

Rukia must have known what he was thinking, because she put her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm sorry." She turned to everyone else. "I'm sorry. I should have stayed home."

"Yes you should have," a cool voice said.

Rukia's eyes widened, her head snapping towards Matsumoto. "You called for my _brother?_" she hissed through her teeth.

Matsumoto put her hands up apologetically. "You freaked me out, okay!" she wailed. "One second you were talking to me, and the next...BAM!"

Kuchiki Byakuya made his way to the bed, the others separating to let him pass. He stood next to Ichigo, an eyebrow raised questioningly. "Working when you are not feeling up to par endangers both yourself and the people around you. You have been taught this, have you not?"

Rukia looked guilty. "Yes, Nii-sama."

Byakuya's face remained impassive. "Then why would you do just that?"

"Hey," Ichigo snapped. "Stop it with the third-degree. It happened. She's okay, and that's all that matters."

"It's okay, Ichigo," Rukia interjected. This was the way her brother showed his concern for her—and honestly, she _should_ have known better.

Tension grew in between her husband and brother. Byakuya turned slowly to the orange-headed bane of his existence. "And did Unohana-taicho confirm that she was 'okay'?"

"She hasn't been back yet, Nii-sama," Rukia said quickly, before Ichigo could say anything stupid. "She went to run some tests and—"

"Here I am!" a pleasant voice interrupted. Karin turned, watching as once again the crowd around Rukia's bed parted, revealing a pretty woman. She recognized her from the ridiculously long induction ceremony—she was a captain. Her hair was once again braided around her neck, the long braid flowing down the front of her captain's haori. She was smiling pleasantly.

A small man followed Unohana, carrying a packet of papers. Clumsy, he tripped, his shaggy black hair swaying with his effort to keep himself upright. But Yuzu caught his arm saving him from impending disaster.

He looked at her, his face beet red. "Thank you," he squeaked.

Yuzu smiled, a little pink herself. "You're welcome."

"Well, is she okay?" Ichigo asked, looking back and forth between Unohana and the man.

Unohana smiled. "May I have the results, Hanataro-kun?"

The man, apparently Hanataro, jumped, racing to his taicho's side. "Of course, Unohana-taicho!"

Unohana took the offered packet. "Thank you." Humming, she rifled through the papers. "Everything looks good. I would just say get lots of rest, Kurosaki-san, and...oh."

"What do you mean, 'oh'?" Ichigo practically yelled. "What is it?"

Unohana frowned a little. "That's funny. We don't usually run this test."

"I ran it, taicho!" Hanataro bowed over and over. "It's just, her symptoms seemed to match and—"

"It's no problem, Hanataro-kun. It seems your hunch was right."

"What is it?" Rukia whispered. "What's wrong with me?"

Unohana still had a strange look on her face. "Nothing is wrong with you, Kurosaki-san. But...apparently, you're pregnant."

It was deafeningly quiet. Then, all at once, Rukia, Ichigo, and Matsumoto yelled, "WHAT?"

"I don't know why everyone's so surprised," Karin sighed. "I've been saying this for weeks! And what's up with you, Rangiku? You agreed with me!"

Matsumoto, jaw still on the ground, looked at her. "Yeah, but I was just teasing! This is impossible!"

"But-but-but...I'm _adopted_," Rukia spluttered.

Unohana looked at a chart. "And from the look of it, you're about two years along, Kurosaki-san."

Karin almost choked on her own spit. "Two _years_?"

"We age more slowly in Soul Society," Rukia murmured absently, eyes still widened in shock. "The average pregnancy lasts ten years."

Karin shook her head in disbelief.

"May I see those?" Isshin asked politely, gesturing to the papers. When they were given to him, he glanced through them. "Your hCG hormone levels are abnormally high, Rukia-chan," he confirmed. "Definitely pregnant."

"Pregnant." Byakuya said the word slowly, as if it were foreign. "As in with child?"

"Yes," Ichigo snapped. "As in _baby._" As soon as the words escaped his mouth, his whole demeanor changed. He looked at Rukia in awe. "We're having a _baby_."

Karin and Yuzu shared a smile. Their brother loved children; he had been studying to be a pediatrician before Karin died. When he chose to be with Rukia, he had accepted the fact that he would never have any of his own. Thus, even when Rukia began showing symptoms he knew well, he wrote them off to something else, knowing pregnancy was impossible.

For her part, Rukia was in shock. She had grown up being told that what was happening to her was impossible, and had thus had never considered even _wanting_ kids. She had accepted it as an impossibility and had moved on. But now…

She looked down at her still-flat midsection as if she had never seen it before. "Impossible," she mumbled.

"No it's not," Isshin responded. For someone who so badly wanted grandkids, he was eerily calm. He wasn't even acting like a lunatic like he normally did. "Not if you have noble blood."

"I may have noble status," Rukia sighed, "but I don't have noble blood."

Kurosaki Isshin raised an eyebrow. "Who said I was talking about you?"

Once again, it was silent. Everyone looked baffled.

"Dad," Ichigo started slowly, "Are you—"

"What are the names of the great noble houses, Rukia-chan?" Isshin interrupted.

Rukia looked like she thought Isshin had lost his marbles. But, seeing as she always thought that, she answered, "Kuchiki, Shiba, and Shihoin."

"But there are _four_ noble houses. What's the last one?"

Rukia wrinkled her brow. "Well, there _were_ four houses. But the Kuro house merged with the Shiba house a long time ago, so now people only mention the three."

"Why did the houses merge?" Yuzu asked.

"Hundreds of years ago, the Kuro clan was massacred by a group of rogue Shibas." Rukia, well-educated in clan history, had gone from shock into teacher mode. "The few survivors were welcomed into the Shiba clan."

"Not all of us did, though," Isshin mused. "My grandfather felt that abandoning the Kuro name was abandoning all that the family stood for. So instead, he and a couple of others lived on their own."

"Wait." Ichigo looked at his father disbelievingly. "Are you trying to say that you're a Kuro?"

Isshin grinned cheekily. "And you and your sisters too. When I left Soul Society, I changed my name to Kurosaki."

Ichigo scowled. "I don't believe you. What, are you trying to tell me that I'm related to _Ganju_? Of all people?"

Rukia's eyes widened. "And Kaien-dono," she whispered. The only person who heard her was Byakuya, who was as surprised as she was. Things were starting to fall into place.

"The Shibas are our cousins, yes." Isshin was still grinning. "Come on, is it so hard to believe? How do you think I had you three?"

Ichigo paused at that. As much as he had had the pregnancy statistics drilled into his head, he had never stopped to question his own conception.

"Wait a minute," Karin spoke up. "Are you saying that the reason that this" — she pointed to Rukia—"happened is that we have noble blood?"

"And don't forget your human blood—you guys are pretty fertile." He winked at her. "You know what that means, Karin-chan. Cover your stump before you hump!"

Karin flushed. "I don't have a stump, you old goat!"

Isshin rolled his eyes. "I changed your diapers. Believe me, I know." He turned to Hitsugaya, winking. "And I wasn't talking about _you_."

Hitsugaya, leaning on the doorframe and safely watching the commotion, blushed deep red.

As for Karin, she was lucky the capillaries in her face didn't explode. "_There will be no humping!_" she hissed.

Isshin looked at her nonchalantly. "That's exactly what your brother used to say. And look how that ended up!"

This time, Ichigo and Rukia reddened. "Don't try to change the subject!" Ichigo growled. "You lied about being a shinigami. You lied about this. What else have you been lying about?"

Isshin looked solemn. "I never lied," he said. "I just kept things from you to protect you."

Ichigo sighed. "Well, what else have you been _keeping _from me?"

The two men looked at each other. Then, seriously, Isshin responded, "Your name really does mean 'strawberry'."

For a few seconds, the room was silent. Then, in unison, Rukia and Matsumoto burst out laughing.

"Oh, this is too much!" Matsumoto squealed with glee, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

"WHAT?" Ichigo yelled.

Yuzu tried to hold back her giggles. "Come on, nii-chan. 'Ichigo'? 'Karin'? 'Yuzu'? You never noticed?"

"Alas." Isshin got a far-away look in his eye. "Your loving mother named you all after the fruits she craved while pregnant with you."

Rukia, suppressing a snigger, squeezed her husband's hand. "...Are you okay, Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked like he was going to faint. He sat down on Rukia's bed. "I think I need a minute."

"Only my brother would be freak out about his name, but not his baby," Karin sighed. "Only Ichigo."

* * *

That night, Karin had another dream.

She stood on the edge of a cliff, watching the changing colors of the sunset.

A man stood by her side. He wore a lavender kimono, and his long hair was a strange teal color. He turned to her, and although the giant scar on his face reminded her of a gangster's, she was not afraid.

Strangely, although she didn't recognize him, she _knew_ him.

He lifted a hand, softly caressing her face. His fingers sent electricity dancing across her skin, and she leaned into his touch.

"Do you trust me?" he asked softly.

"_Yes_," she breathed.

Although he was tall, he seemed to have no problem leaning to her level, and put his lips in the hollow of her ear. "Will you be with me?" he whispered, his warm breath ghosting over her.

Her eyes closed unconsciously, caught in the moment. "_Yes._"

There was no other answer. Being with this man, the one whose name she did not know, felt as natural as breathing.

She could feel him smiling against her skin. And then, after a chaste kiss to her forehead, he pushed Karin of the cliff.

* * *

When she woke up, there was a sword in her hand.

* * *

**A/N: I always wondered: why the heck do they talk about the four great noble houses, but never mention the fourth? I have a theory that the reason is that the Kurosakis are descendants of that fourth house (explaining just why Ichigo is so awesome all the time). I just wrote it **_**this**_** particular way because I wanted to explain the whole Ichigo-looks-like-Kaien thing that has been floating around.**

**Let me know! :)**


	34. Chapter 34

**What up, peeps! Yes, I am back with another chappie of _Rapture._ I sure hope you're ready for this jelly. (Hahahaha...ignore me and my Destiny's Child references...it's 2am.)**

**Okay, not much to say this chapter, except thanks for all the reviews and support! Oh, and while Rukia's new hair bothered me for a while, it's starting to grow on me. Is it weird that I like how it's drawn in fanart better than when Kubo does it, though? In fanart, Rukia looks really cute with her new hair. In Kubo-verse, she looks like Hanataro's evil twin. (Don't act like you didn't notice that too.) And did anyone else notice that both Renji and Hitsugaya came back looking effing hot? YUM. This author approves (and may have to utilize Hitsugaya's new degree of hotness. *author plots* )**

**Also, I'm liking the plotline much better now! Yay! :D**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would have been shot by now, seeing as I'm writing chapters as fast as a snail on crack—and no, not even the good stuff. Don't do drugs, kids. XD**

* * *

Now that she was looking, she didn't know how she hadn't noticed before.

Rukia turned in front of the mirror, viewing the slight bulge of her belly from a new angle. It didn't look like much, and could actually be written off as the result of all the red bean paste she had been eating. But it wasn't. There was a baby, an _actual_ _person_ growing inside her!

Suddenly feeling sick, Rukia lowered her shirt and sat on the edge of the bed, willing herself not to spew chunks everywhere.

The bedroom door opened. Ichigo appeared, hair still dripping from his shower and a toothbrush jammed in his mouth. He hadn't bothered to put a shirt on, and was wearing only the strawberry-printed boxers that Karin had gotten him as a gag. His eyes warmed when he caught sight of her. "You're up," he mumbled around his toothbrush.

Her indigo eyes flashed dangerously. In response, she whipped her hairbrush at his head. Ichigo barely dodged, not even seeing the move coming. His eyes widened in wonder. Was she..trying to hit..._him?_

"How many times have I told you to dry your hair after you shower?" she snapped, looking like she wanted to throw more projectiles at him. "You always drip all over the floor! You're going to mess up the wood!"

He looked at her, confused. She would usually yell at him about this, but she was never _completely_ serious! "Rukia, what—"

A shoe smacked his shoulder. Rukia grabbed the other one, taking aim. "Stupid, stupid," she muttered.

And then the unthinkable happened.

Rukia started to cry, big tears welling up in the corners of her eyes and cascading silently down.

* * *

Karin ran, listening to the sound of her own feet hitting the pavement. Sweat trickled into her eyes, and she distractedly wiped at them. Her legs burned pleasantly; her heart pounded in her ears.

Running was something she used to do when she was alive—she needed to be fit and fast for both soccer and kendo. Now that she was dead, she figured adding running to her daily routine couldn't hurt, so every morning, she rolled out of bed and slipped on her trusty sneakers.

She chose a different route every day so she wouldn't get bored, and today she had chosen to run through the different divisions. It was no surprise to her, then, when she ran into her brother halfway through the Fifth Division. What _did_ surprise her, however, was the fact that Ichigo had stumbled from his house, his haori half on and a toothbrush still in his mouth.

Karin considered waving and running on, but as soon as Ichigo caught sight of her, he grabbed her arm before she could escape. She blinked confusedly, still breathing hard from her run. "Ichi-nii! What's wrong with you?"

With his widened eyes and disheveled hair, he looked even more crazed than she had originally thought. "You've got to help me!" he hissed at her.

Her stomach dropped a little, dreading what she was about to hear. "What is it?"

"It's Rukia." He glanced back at the house behind him, as if afraid Rukia herself would appear. "Something is wrong with her! She's yelling and throwing things!"

"Doesn't she usually do that?" Karin deadpanned.

His grip on her arm tightened. "And _crying_," he added meaningfully.

Karin paused. _That_ was certainly out of the ordinary. "Well, she _is_ pregnant," she mused. "You know how out of whack that will make her hormones."

Ichigo finally let her go, running his hand through his hair distractedly. "She's been _pregnant_ for two years already," he murmured, almost to himself. "She only started crying _now_. Something is up."

Karin's eyes softened. "I'll talk to her," she promised.

Ichigo smiled weakly. "Thanks, Karin."

"No problem." She glanced at her watch, grimacing at what she saw. Great, now she was off schedule. "You look ridiculous, by the way. You should probably fix that—no one will respect a taicho if he can clearly be bested by a woman half his size."

Ichigo glared at her, but she merely waved, grinning, as she continued her run.

* * *

From the look on his face, Toshiro was clearly not expecting her.

"'Sup, bud?" she greeted, slipping her sneakers off and making a beeline for her room.

"Hi," he said slowly, setting his cup of coffee on the table confusedly. "Don't you have class today?"

Karin reappeared, her sweaty clothes discarded in favor of a towel. "Yup," she said cheerfully. "But not for another forty minutes."

Hitsugaya stared at her blankly.

"What, I can't come visit my dearest and truest friend?"

A snowy eyebrow raised speculatively.

"Fine," she sighed dramatically. "I go for runs in the morning, and today's took longer than usual. And by the time I get back to the dorms, I'll have to wait to shower," she explained. "Why should I do that when there is a perfectly good shower right here?"

Hitsugaya blinked.

"Oh, don't act like you didn't miss me," Karin snorted, making her way down the hall.

Hitsugaya took another sip of coffee as he heard the shower begin to run. He shook his head. She hadn't even shut the bathroom door.

He inwardly chuckled. Karin was quick to anger, but even quicker to forgive. He did find it strange, however, that Karin would choose _today_, of all days, to make a surprise visit. Clearly, the gods were still having fun at his expense.

Sighing, he got off the couch, making his way to the kitchen to rinse out his mug. Like the rest of his life, Hitsugaya Toshiro's house was neat and orderly—he saw no reason to let dishes pile up when it would only take a second to wash the few he used.

"Hey."

Although he hadn't heard the shower turn off, he had been vaguely aware of her reiatsu getting closer to him, so when he looked up at her, he wasn't surprised. Her hair, almost reaching her shoulders, was wet, and she was once again clad in the towel.

_I might have to mop_, he mused, too used to her bathing routine to have perverted thoughts. Although, the way her skin glistened _did_ look quite…

He blinked. Karin was holding a zanpakuto. "Where did you get that?" he asked, confused.

"It was in my hand when I woke up," she responded, handing him the sword and making her way back to her room.

Hitsugaya studied it. The entire hilt of the sword was a gorgeous mix of ambers and reds, a stone of the same color embedded within the guard. The blade, while a normal silver, glinted extraordinarily, and almost seemed to contain all the colors of the sun. "In your hand?" he repeated, almost speechless by the beauty of the marvelous blade.

"Yeah." Her voice was muffled by the distance between them. "I had a weird dream, and when I woke up, it was there."

Hitsugaya turned the blade in his hand absently, leaving the kitchen in favor of his sitting room. Karin emerged from her room, clad in her Academy uniform and brushing the tangles out of her hair. She frowned. "I don't really remember the dream though—only that it was strange."

Hitsugaya's eyebrows furrowed. It was strange that Karin was progressing so quickly—not that he was surprised, but it was still strange. Absently, he turned the blade again. The metal seemed to radiate warmth in his hand, and deep in his subconscious, a purring began. He held the sword out to her.

She gathered her still-wet hair into its signature ponytail, glancing at her watch. "I have to run to class. Can you hold on to it for me?"

Hitsugaya shook his head. "It's yours," he responded. "And until you learn how to call and retract it at will, you'll have to carry it around like the rest of us did."

Karin pouted. "Can't we just leave it in my room?" she grumbled.

"You really want to leave _a part of your soul_ around for people to touch," he retorted, ignoring the increasingly louder rumbling in his head.

"_You're_ holding it," Karin pointed out, "and I'm not screaming in agony or anything. I'm not even twitching." In fact, she was feeling rather pleasant.

Toshiro responded by forcing the zanpakuto into one of her hands. "It's yours."

Karin sighed, wishing she had more time to debate the issue. But alas, she was going to be late for class. "Fine," she said, annoyed. "I've got to go. I'll see you later."

He watched her, amused, until she exited the house.

* * *

"So now I have this," Karin finished, gesturing to her zanpakuto.

Daisuke's eyes were wide, and he had yet to retrieve his jaw from the floor. "Wow!" he breathed, running his fingers along the blade. "I can't believe you have your zanpakuto already! Most of us haven't even talked to ours yet!"

Karin scratched her head sheepishly. "I know! I don't know why I seem to be on the fast track."

Daisuke nodded sagely. "It's probably because you're a noble. The rest of us peasants can't even keep up."

Karin shoved him playfully. "I should never tell you anything," she moped. "All you do is make fun of me."

Daisuke laughed, his eyes crinkling in mirth. "Clearly I'm jealous." His eyes roamed the room. "Just like everyone else."

He wasn't kidding. If everyone hadn't already been paying attention to her because of her family name, her new zanpakuto did the trick. There was a lot of staring and whispering going on around her.

She _knew_ Hitsugaya should have kept it for her!

Karin blinked as she noticed Mizuno-sensei, from his post by the door, motioning for her to follow him.

"Oh shit," she murmured, wondering just how upset he was with her after yesterday's antics. "This can't be good."

Mizuno exited the room, and Daisuke whistled low. "You better see what that's about," he agreed.

Already dreading it, Karin made her way across the room, her hands unconsciously tightening around her zanpakuto. When she exited the room, closing the door shut behind her, she was already thinking of excuses.

Mizuno-sensei scrunched up his face at her. This didn't necessarily prove his anger with her, seeing as that was what _he always_ looked like, but Karin still didn't relax.

"This isn't the class for you, Kurosaki," he said gruffly.

Karin's jaw dropped. _He was kicking her out of the class! _"I'm sorry sir!" she replied hurriedly, bowing deeply. "I understand that my actions yesterday were completely unacceptable. But please don't kick me out! I promise I'll make it up to you! You won't regret it, and—"

"That's enough, Kurosaki," Mizuno interrupted, grabbing her by the shoulder and forcing her out of her bow. "I'm not kicking you out."

Karin blinked owlishly. "You're not?" she repeated in wonder.

Mizuno frowned, his mustache twitching. "No. While attacking a taicho is a serious offense—as well as just plain _stupid_—Hitsugaya-taicho requested it. Your enthusiasm, however, was not necessary." He raised his eyebrows in question, but did not ask.

"If you're not kicking me out," Karin said, blushing, "then why are we here, sensei?"

"I stand by my earlier statement. This class is not for you." His eyes drifted to the zanpakuto still being strangled in her hands. "_That_, as well as your little show yesterday, have proven that you are too advanced for this class. So I am going to recommend you attend the Advanced Swordsmanship class from now on."

"Advanced?" Karin repeated stupidly. "But that class is for third- and fourth-years. I just got here!"

Mizuno looked annoyed. "You will gain nothing from attending my class, Kurosaki. I am going to talk to Kimura-sensei today. Prepare to attend her class tomorrow."

"Yes, sensei," Karin replied dazedly, watching as Mizuno-sensei reentered the classroom.

The metal in her hands warmed.

* * *

"Look what I brought!" Momo singsonged, her eyes sparkling happily. She had come into his house without knocking, but that was to be expected of her. Hitsugaya _did_ invite her over, after all.

He was just lucky the gods didn't completely hate him today—Momo had decided to make her appearance a scant five minutes after Karin had left. And attempting to break things off with Hinamori while Karin was in the room was not an option.

Momo snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Shiro-chan!"

He blinked. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

She puffed her cheeks out in annoyance. "I wanted you to guess what I brought," she sighed dramatically, "but that's no fun anymore. Look!"

A large watermelon suddenly appeared from behind her back.

Hitsugaya couldn't help but salivate, and Hinamori laughed knowingly. "We can bring it with us to Granny's," she smiled. "It's been a while since the three of us ate it together."

It had been. Before Hinamori went to the Academy, they used to eat the fruit together frequently. He used to practically swallow the melons whole, he ate them so fast, and because Momo always laughed at it, he would spit the seeds out in a steady stream. Momo would always wipe the juice from his face, laughing about the mess he was making, and their grandmother would sip her tea, chuckling as well.

They were strong memories, happy ones. Ones that reminded him why he was having so much trouble cutting off the complicated relationship he had with Momo.

Hinamori was still smiling at him, but he could tell it was a bit strained. It was nothing like when they were younger, when she would laugh until tears streamed down her face and she practically choked.

And then he was decided. Toshiro knew that, stuck in this pretend relationship, he would never see Momo as happy as in the past. The blatant wrongness of the situation was smothering her smiles, her laughs—the _real_ ones—and turning them into a sad shadow of themselves. And _he_ sure as hell wasn't happy.

It was blindingly clear—Hinamori _had _to have noticed it as well. She _had_ to understand.

They were never meant to be more than family.

It was with this new resolve that Toshiro finally spoke up. "I don't love you, Momo."

He could have smacked himself.

Hinamori blinked slowly, her smile fading. "What?"

"I mean, I don't love you the way you want me to." He ran a hand through his hair, annoyed with himself. This was not going the way he wanted it to. "I love you as a sister, and as a friend. I'm not sure when anything more was expected of me." He looked into her eyes. "But it's not going to happen."

Hinamori was still holding the watermelon, her eyes oddly blank. "I thought we were happy," she said woodenly, her words quiet.

"No you didn't." His eyes softened. "You know we weren't, Momo."

Hinamori continued to stare at him, still strangely absent.

"I appreciate you being there for me when I needed you," Hitsugaya continued. "And you know that I'll be there to support you as well. Just not this way, Momo. Not this way."

That was when everything seemed to hit her. Emotions battled in her eyes, and her jaw set. Carefully, she set the watermelon on the counter. "It's because of _her_, isn't it?"

He couldn't lie. "It's _always_ been her," he confessed, coloring slightly at the admission. "But even if she were out of the equation, we would never work."

Hinamori lunged at him, a look of desperation on her face as she engulfed him in an embrace. "You can't leave me!" she sobbed.

"I'm not leaving you," he said softly, rubbing soothing circles into her back. "I'll be here, just like I always have been."

But Hinamori didn't seem to hear him, clinging to him in despair. "You can't leave me! You can't leave like Aizen-sama!"

And suddenly, he ripped himself from her arms, his glare cold and hard. "I am _not_ Aizen," he spat, hurt prevalent on his face.

For a few seconds, Hinamori Momo stood there in shock. Then, fresh tears trekking down her face, she ran.

The front door slammed behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Well, **_**that **_**was sure a long time coming. Let me know. :)**


	35. Chapter 35

**Yay! An update! Think of it as my present to you all. Don't say I never got you anything. :D**

**Sorry for the delay; this semester was kicking my butt! The only reason I even updated my other fic, **_**Destined**_**, is because it is much easier to write a quick one shot. I didn't have time to give this fic all of my attention. But I'm on break now, so let's hope I'll be able to churn a couple more chappies out!**

**Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/faved in my absence. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year if you don't hear from me until then!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, this manga arc wouldn't be dragging out like it is.**

* * *

Karin walked into the Thirteenth Division office, mind still reeling over what had just happened. She, a first year, was going to be put into a fourth-year class! It was insanity! She could admit that her previous Swordsmanship class was really easy, but seeing as the class was meant for someone who had no prior fighting experience, she had expected that. But Advanced Swordsmanship...she had a feeling that she would either sink or swim.

Willing herself not to worry about the class until tomorrow, Karin opened the door to the room that she knew held her sister-in-law. To her surprise, Matsumoto was in the room as well, lounging comfortably next to her friend.

"Don't you people ever work?" Karin accused.

"Don't you ever go to class?" Rukia shot back, dipping a whole pickle into what looked like soy sauce.

"That's disgusting," Karin commented, pulling up a chair next to Matsumoto and sitting on it backwards, her arms resting on the back. "And for your information, I have no more classes today."

"I wanted something salty," Rukia said defensively, taking a big bite.

"And I needed to leave taicho alone," Matsumoto moaned dramatically, draping a hand across her forehead. "So I decided to come visit Ichi-chan."

"Shut it, Rangiku," Rukia barked, the crunch of her next bite of pickle ridiculously loud.

Matsumoto gestured toward the small woman, an eyebrow raised. "Preggo here is pretty grumpy this morning," she stage-whispered to Karin.

Rukia took another loud bite in response.

Karin should have been expecting this; Ichigo had warned her only hours before that Rukia was in a foul mood. "I guess now is a bad time to ask for a favor then."

Rukia's angry chews slowed, and she blinked. "What is it that you needed, Karin?"

Karin watched as she poured another puddle full of sodium onto her plate. _That can't be healthy. _"I wanted to see if you could get me and a friend through the gates. It's been a while since we've seen our friends in Rukongai."

Rukia shook her head apologetically. "Sorry. Fukutaicho don't have clearance for that. You would need a taicho to give permission."

Matsumoto's eyes lit up, and she looked at Karin conspiratorially.

Karin ignored her. "I guess I can ask Ichi-nii. He owes me a favor."

"It's unlikely he'll agree. Where you used to live is really dangerous," Rukia mused. "And what does he owe you for?"

Karin sighed, knowing that she was right. Asking her father was out of the question too, then. "For this," she responded, leaning so far forward in her chair that she was balancing on the back legs. She peered into Rukia's violet eyes. "Rukia, what's bothering you?"

"I want to know the answer to that too," Matsumoto piped up. "You've been acting as if something bit your pregnant butt."

"Rangiku," Rukia growled, setting the massacred remains of the pickle back onto the plate.

Something clicked. Karin looked at Rukia warily.

"There's nothing bothering me," the small woman snipped, a note of finality in her tone. She looked around wistfully. "I could really go for some ice cream."

"Wow, your cravings are really strong," Matsumoto commented.

"I'm not having cravings," Rukia snapped, setting the plate onto her desk with a little more force than necessary.

Karin and Matsumoto shared a look.

"Green tea flavored," Rukia murmured to herself. "Maybe if I have some actual green tea instead…"

"Ruki-nee," Karin started, unconsciously scanning the desk for possible projectiles, "are you worried about the baby?"

Rukia stiffened. She reached for a stack of paperwork, favoring focusing on it over looking Karin in the eye. After a pause that was a second too long, she responded. "No."

"Are you sure?" Matusmoto asked carefully, all playfulness gone from her tone. "You know you can tell us."

Rukia was ruffling through the stack needlessly. "I know. I'm not worried."

Karin knew that there was more to the story, but she wasn't going to press her. She had already spotted a stapler on the desk, and Karin knew that Rukia's aim was much better than her own reflexes.

"It's just that I'm not completely sure that I want it, is all," Rukia murmured into the papers.

A jolt went down Karin's spine, and her eyes widened. She hadn't been expecting _that_. "What?" she asked softly.

Rukia began to cry. If Karin hadn't seen fat droplets cascading down her friend's face for herself, she wouldn't have believed it.

"I don't know _how_ to be a mother," Rukia sobbed, her voice muffled by Matsumoto's chest. "I've never had one."

Matsumoto's face softened sympathetically. "Oh honey," she tutted, wrapping the much smaller girl into her arms.

"And I've been told my whole life that I can't have kids, so I've never had to consider if I wanted any!" The floodgates seemed to open. She was crying so hard, her whole body was shaking.

Karin's stomach clenched. Feeling the intense need to hold her friend, she stood, wrapping her arms around Rukia's waist and resting her head on her shoulder. "It'll be okay," she whispered into her hair. "It'll be okay."

They stayed like that for a little while, waiting for Rukia's shuddering to calm down. Finally, the tears seemed to stop, and Karin let her go.

Rukia sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Don't be," Matsumoto stressed, giving her one last squeeze before letting her go. "That's what we're here for."

Rukia nodded, her eyes red. She looked sullenly at the pile of paperwork.

"You have to tell Ichigo," Karin said gently.

Rukia shook her head. "I can't." Her voice, still thick with tears, cracked. "He's just so excited…"

"He's your husband," Matsumoto said firmly.

"And the father of your child," Karin added pointedly.

Rukia sighed, running both hands through her hair. "I know. I _know_."

"You need to do it soon. He's really worried about you." Karin smiled. "I swear, the only time I see my brother frazzled is if something is wrong with me or Yuzu, or if something is wrong with you."

"I know," Rukia said again, her voice little more than a whisper. She sighed. "I don't deserve him."

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow your horses!" Matsumoto exclaimed. "Let's not go _that_ far."

"Yeah." Karin winked. "We all know that it's the other way around."

Matsumoto smiled. "I swear, these hormones are making you crazy! If this is how it's going to be for the next eight years, Karin, we need to find new friends."

Karin smirked. "Oh, I don't know. I grew up with crazy. I think I like it."

It was then that Rukia's lips turned upward. "Crazy is right," she laughed, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "I have no idea how the women in my family were able to bear children and still keep their Kuchiki honor. I always feel like crying or screaming or crying _and_ screaming."

"It'll be worth it in the end," Matsumoto replied, patting Rukia's relatively flat stomach. "You'll see. Ichi-chan can't help it that his both his mommy and daddy have anger management-issues. I'm actually surprised it took you this long to explode."

Rukia swatted her hand away. "Shut it, Rangiku," she responded, no malice in the words. Instead, in their place, was laughter.

Satisfied that they weren't going to have a mental breakdown on their hands, Karin moved back to her seat, stumbling over the hilt of her zanpakuto. She scowled at it, annoyed that she had forgotten that she had set it on the floor in the first place.

Matsumoto looked down automatically. "Where'd you get that?" she asked curiously.

Karin sighed, resuming her previous position in the chair and lifting the sword up for her friends to see. "It's mine," she grumbled, rotating the hilt in her hand so that the blade turned and turned. "It's been getting in my way all day. I don't know what to do with it."

"Really?" Rukia looked intrigued, and she reached out for the sword, looking at Karin for permission. The younger girl shrugged, unceremoniously plopping it into her hands. "Wow. It's beautiful."

"How did you get it?" Matsumoto squealed, her eyes focused on the beauty of the blade as well.

Karin thought hard. "I had a dream." She paused, trying to recall what the dream had been about. "There was a strange looking man. And…" She trailed off, coming up blank. "Oh well, it's not important. But what _is_ important is that I'm going to be in Advanced Swordsmanship now."

"Wow, Karin! That's great!" Rukia exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

Matsumoto grinned. "You might graduate early and everything!"

Karin couldn't help it—she grinned back. "Yeah, if I can figure out what to do with this thing," she replied, gesturing to the zanpakuto Matsumoto was now holding. "I don't know how to make it disappear, and stupid Toshiro wouldn't let me keep it at his house."

Matsumoto visibly perked up. "You saw taicho today?" she asked, practically purring.

Karin knew that she had to have a strange look on her face. "Yes," she responded slowly.

She leant back a little as Matsumoto was suddenly practically in her face. "_And_?" the buxom woman squealed. "Did you tell him?"

Karin's eyebrows furrowed. "Clearly," she replied, watching as Matsumoto practically jumped out of her skin in glee. "I showed it to him, and he told me I couldn't leave a part of my soul lying around and blah blah blah."

Matsumoto froze, her head cocking to the side. "You didn't tell him?" she asked, her voice raising an octave.

Okay, now she was _really _confused. Slowly, she took the sword from Matsumoto and set it back on the floor."About Advanced Swordsmanship? Well, I got promoted afterwards, so no."

At this point, Matsumoto had her face in her hands. "Kami-sama help this girl," she mumbled.

"What?" Karin snapped crossly.

This time it was Matsumoto and Rukia who shared a look. Rukia nodded slightly.

"Do you love Hitsugaya-taicho?" Matsumoto asked bluntly.

Karin started, already feeling her face warm. "You already know the answer to that," she snidely answered.

"Then why haven't you told him?" Matsumoto exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

Karin huffed, distinctly uncomfortable. "Well, it's kind of rude, seeing as he has a _girlfriend_."

"No he doesn't," the buxom blonde snapped.

A few seconds passed as Karin's brain slowly caught up to what was going on. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "What?" she breathed, whipping her head towards Rukia.

"It's true," she confirmed with a nod. "They broke up this morning."

"And now he's being all depressing because he feels terrible. That's why I'm here," Matsumoto added pointedly. "He clearly needed to be alone. But do you know who could make him feel better?"

Her heart was pounding in her head, her breath shallow. This was all to much. As much as she had always wanted to confess, Hinamori had always been in the way, always making it seem like a faraway dream. Now that she was out of the picture, Karin didn't know what to do. There was nothing blocking her from rejection.

Matsumoto snapped her fingers impatiently in Karin's face. "Karin!"

"It's too soon," she murmured. "They just broke up."

"What, do you plan on waiting another ten years before you say anything?" Matsumoto growled in exasperation.

Karin flushed, but didn't say anything. She wasn't sure when she would be ready.

Matsumoto's face hardened. "You know what? Let me tell you a little story. It's about a girl like you who fell in love with a boy, but never said anything."

"Rangiku," Rukia said softly.

"They grew up together, and all they had was each other." Matsumoto kept talking, as if she didn't hear her. "Eventually, their lives had them drifting apart. But she still loved him, though she did not tell him."

A sinking pit was beginning to form in Karin's stomach.

"Then one day, he betrayed her and left her all alone. She knew she should hate him. But no matter how hard she tried, she _still_ loved him!" Matsumoto's voice was beginning to crack, her eyes flashing with emotion. "Later, she would learn that he only left to protect her. Later, as she cradled his dying body in her arms, she would learn that he loved her as well. And always had."

Rukia put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but didn't attempt to stop her again. It was Matsumoto's story to tell.

Karin didn't know what to say. There was nothing she _could_ say that could get rid of the heartbreak in her friend's voice. _I'm sorry_ just didn't cut it.

"She never forgave herself," Matsumoto whispered. "All of that wasted time...you never get it back, Karin. Don't be like her."

It was silent. Then, giving her friend's shoulder one last squeeze, Rukia turned her violet gaze back to Karin. "You _should_ tell him."

"I know!" Karin said too loudly, getting frustrated with herself. "But actually doing it is harder than talking about it!"

"Just say the words. It's not that bad," Rukia replied.

"Says the girl who just jumped my brother one day," she mumbled, leaning forward unconsciously and balancing on the back legs of her chair. "Our walls were thin, just so you know. Thanks for stealing my innocence."

Rukia reddened, clearly embarrassed. "Don't mention it."

Matsumoto laughed, her demeanor immediately returning to its teasing self. Vaguely, Karin wondered if her friend's bubbly personality was just a front. Clearly, she was still hurting inside.

"How about this." Rukia drummed her fingers on her desk in thought. "I won't talk to Ichigo until you talk to Hitsugaya-taicho."

Karin's mouth dropped open. "That's terrible!"

Matsumoto grinned. "That's brilliant!"

"It's unfair," Karin argued.

"It is a lot of pressure," Rukia admitted. "But this has dragged on long enough. The worst thing that can happen is that he'll reject you, but you seem to think that he'll do that anyway, so what's the big deal? All you're doing is drawing out your agony."

"Yeah, pining after a guy is not your style," Matsumoto commented snidely. "The Karin-chan I know goes after what she wants."

They were absolutely right. But that didn't make Karin feel any better. "You manipulative bitches," she said in wonder.

Matsumoto winked. "Wouldn't want to keep your poor Ichi-nii in the dark, would you?"

She wanted to laugh, it all seemed so ridiculous. Instead she stood, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Fine!" she yelled, marching towards the door.

"You forgot this," Matsumoto sang, Fenikkusu's hilt pinched between her fingers as she held it out, blade down.

Karin ground her teeth, frustrated. With the famous Kurosaki scowl in full effect, she grabbed the sword and left the office without another word.

Matsumoto turned to Rukia. "Think we were a little harsh?"

The small woman sighed, ruffling her chin-length bob with a sigh. "Maybe," she replied. "But Kurosakis need a kick in the butt to convince them to do anything." Distractedly, she picked at the remains of her pickle. "And so do I, apparently."

"You know it won't be long now," Matsumoto warned. "Now she's determined to tell him."

Rukia nodded. "But...I gave her my word, and a Kuchiki never goes back on her word. Now I have to tell him." She paused. "I could really use a drink."

"You said it, sister." Matsumoto opened one of the drawers in the desk and removed the apparently fake bottom, excitedly extracting an unopened bottle of sake. "Today has been _way _too depressing."

Rukia's eyes widened. "When did you…?"

"I guess I'll have to drink your share too," Matsumoto sang, already pulling sake cups from between her breasts and filling them to the rim. "One for you," she shot it back, "one for me."

Rukia didn't say anything, knowing that talking about Gin had really upset her friend. Instead, she walked to the door, sticking her head into the hallway. "Kentaro! Kiyone! I could really use some green tea!"

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I have given in and decided to give Rukia her new hair. It's grown on me, okay? I actually think that Kubo has gotten better at drawing Rukia with her new look, because she looks pretty good now, but looking back at the chapter she unveiled her new look, she still looks terrible. Oh well, it's probably been people's gorgeous fanart that has changed my mind.**

**Oh, on another note, I was rereading older chapters, and I caught some typos/inconsistencies. I've been writing this story for a couple years, so I haven't felt the need to go back. However, the errors are starting to bother me. So, I'm not sure if you all get emails every time I replace chapters, but please ignore them if you do. I'm not changing any of the storyline, just making the story more presentable.**

**Okay, enough of my ranting. Let me know what you think! :)**


	36. Chapter 36

**WHAT? A super duper update that's almost three times as long as it usually is? Le gasp.**

**Don't get used to these monster updates. It just so happens that I've been obsessing over this chapter for weeks, and struggling to get perfect thoughts that were inside my head to be just as perfect on paper. As such, I couldn't find a spot that would be good to split the chapter at...so I just didn't. Enjoy this, as my gift to everyone that reads and reviews and is just generally supportive. ^_^**

**I'll just let you get right to it.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I would probably go insane thinking about it all the time. (Wait, I already do that...hmm...)**

* * *

_She plopped onto her back with a small sigh, lifting her gaze to the stars. Her stomach rattled annoyingly, the chunk of bread she ate earlier not doing much to appease it._

_She refused to complain, though. He had worked hard to steal that dinner roll, almost getting run through with his target's rusty blade. He was quick, however, and instead of being skewered, had only received a cut on his side. Despite all of this effort, as soon as it was safe, he had torn the roll in half, placing a piece in her hands._

_No, she would ignore her hunger. Hopefully they would have more luck tomorrow._

_He sat down on the grass beside her, being careful of his wound. They didn't have a house or hut or even a box—no one did, unless they were able to fight for it, and willing to fight to keep it. Home was wherever they decided to stop, and tonight happened to be a small patch of grass. He looked over at her. "I'll keep watch, Ran."_

_She didn't argue, knowing from experience that he wouldn't let her keep watch. Rukongai wasn't a safe place in general, but at night was when the true danger presented itself. He didn't want someone to sneak up on them when he was unawares, and preferred to sleep during the day, when he felt better about letting her keep watch. She knew that it wasn't because he didn't trust her—he was just protective of her. Even during the times that he disappeared, she would find herself abandoned in the safer parts of town._

_She sat up in response, grass littering her shoulder-length blond hair. "Let me see your side."_

_His ever-present smile widened. "Ah, Ran-chan, ya know I'm fine."_

_Her periwinkle eyes flashed. "I'll be the judge of that, Gin."_

_He put up his hands in surrender, knowing she wouldn't let it alone. He waited._

_She felt her face heat up, and was thankful that it was hard for him to see in the dim moonlight. He was going to make _her _do it. Setting her jaw determinedly, she gently placed her hand into the flap of his dirty, ratty yutaka, trying to ignore the way her hand seemed to burn where it touched him. She slid the material off of his shoulder, ashamed at the way the newly-revealed skin sent a shiver down her spine. Her eyes roved his form, noting how, like herself, his ribs were easily visible, before finally settling on the wound._

_Earlier, she had only been able to rinse it off with some water from a muddy stream— figuring that that was better than leaving it to fester from whatever was growing on the sword that cut him. Now, from what she could see in the dim lighting, it was irritated, dried blood crusted over it. Fingers light as feathers, she traced the edges of the wound. She hoped it wouldn't make him sick._

_"Wa's the verdict, sensei?" he teased, clearly amused. Though a smile was permanently etched onto his face, she could always distinguish the different meanings behind it._

_She pouted, slightly annoyed he wasn't taking his wound seriously. "You'll live," she responded drily, sliding the yutaka back into its rightful place._

_It was at that moment that her stomach decided to voice its fury. The growl was loud and drawn out, her embarrassment growing with each passing second._

_He just laughed, lifting the arm of his unhurt side invitingly._

_Still mortified, she scrambled into his awaiting arm, leaning into him. It was the only way they could keep warm at night—body heat._

_He slung his arm over her shoulders, absentmindedly running his hand up and down her arm to create friction. His smile seemed sad. "It ain't enough."_

_Boldly, she snuggled closer to him, taking advantage of the situation. "It's not," she agreed. "But there's nothing we can do about it."_

_They sat there, spent and hungry. Her eyes began to flutter closed, her body trying to store up energy she would not be getting through sustenance._

_"One day," he murmured against her hair. "One day ya'll be able to eat so much, ya'll want to puke."_

_"That doesn't sound like fun," she laughed sleepily._

_He ignored her. "An' we'll have our own house. With beds an' tables an' chairs. An' ya can decorate it however ya want."_

_She exhaled deeply, too far gone to filter her thoughts properly. "I don't care what it looks like. As long as you're with me, it'll be perfect."_

_Vaguely, she felt him smile against her hair. "An' ya'll be able to wear tha stuff tha' hime wear. An' I'll get ya some jewelry or somethin', so e'rbody can see how pretty ya are."_

_Her nose wrinkled slowly, assuming he was teasing her. "Shut up, Gin," she breathed._

_She felt him smile again. "I's true, Ran."_

"Ran!"

"Rangiku-san!"

Matsumoto blinked. The blurred faces of Hisagi and Kira were staring back at her. She couldn't tell if they were blurry because she was crying or if she was just really, _really _drunk.

"Are..are you okay?" someone slurred. That had to be Hisagi. She blinked again, seeing if that would bring the face more into focus. It only helped a little.

A little of both, then.

She giggled, so practiced even she could barely tell she was faking. "Of course!" _Not_.

It had been seven years since Gin died, and her insides still felt shredded at the thought of him. Usually, she could suppress it, her mind purposely flitting over all thoughts of him. But talking to Karin had apparently opened the floodgates, and her drunken mind was too tired to fight against the onslaught.

She almost laughed at the irony. She was an alcoholic because she wanted to forget, but now that she was drunk, she couldn't!

Absentmindedly, she fingered her necklace, still tucked close to her heart. She doubted she would ever get over him.

"Are you sure?" The blur was blond this time. "You looked sad."

In response, Matsumoto grabbed the bottle of sake, taking a long swig and reveling at the burn in her throat. "Kanpai!" she yelled, holding the bottle in the air.

That seemed to convince her friends. Their drunken grins returned. "Kanpai!" they cheered, draining the rest of their cups.

She burped lightly, eyes stubbornly trying to fill up again.

She would need another bottle.

* * *

_This is getting ridiculous!_ Karin chastised herself, purposefully making her way towards the Tenth Division.

She had wasted time roaming Seireitei, too chicken to go straight to her target—even going so far as to hang out in her father's office. Isshin had seemed to know something was wrong, considering Karin never dropped by for no reason apparent, but he had been uncharacteristically quiet about it. Instead, he sat behind his desk, teasing his lieutenant.

To his credit, Kira Izuru appeared to take all of Isshin's loony antics with stride, merely sighing when Isshin suggested that they set a black cat free in the Second Division just to see how Soi Fon would act when she found it. When Karin commented on his strangely tolerant demeanor, Kira had merely given her a strained smile. "My previous captain was the same way."

It wasn't until Isshin began to make paper planes out of his paperwork, amusing both himself and Karin by aiming straight for Kira's head, that the poor lieutenant finally decided to call it a day, muttering about sake. And when it was just the two of them, Isshin had turned to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She sighed, standing up and relinquishing her very comfy position on the couch.

Even then, her father hadn't pushed it. Isshin had merely ruffled her hair, a soft smile on his face. "Congrats."

Despite her nerves, a genuine grin took over her face. Isshin was proud of her accomplishments, of her new zanpakuto and her new class, and for the first time, _she_ had been too.

But of course, he _had_ to ruin the moment, and Karin promptly left when the crocodile tears had started.

Now, she was on a mission. She needed to grow a pair and spit out what had been on her mind for almost half of her existence.

She knew Hitsugaya would most likely still be in his office, despite the fact that the sun had officially set and everyone else had quit for the day. Pushing down her urge to run in the opposite direction, Karin opened the doors to the Tenth Division office, swiftly making her way down the hallway and opening the door before she changed her mind.

Matsumoto hadn't been kidding—the scene _was_ depressing. Toshiro sat at his desk, eyes glazed over as he mechanically signed one piece of paper after another. His head rested on a hand, fingers intertwined with his hair, and he looked as if he had the greatest headache in the history of man. There was practically a raincloud over his head, and as she stood there, he looked up at her with tired eyes.

He didn't say anything, merely waiting for her to announce what she wanted.

It was then that she realized how insensitive she was being. He was visibly upset from a breakup that had happened only _hours_before, yet she was ready to profess her undying love. It wasn't right.

Karin inwardly sighed, slightly mad that she freaked herself out for nothing. Willing herself to act as normally as possible, she forced a smile. "How's it goin', sunshine?"

Hitsugaya clearly wasn't in the mood. His eyes flitted back to his paperwork. "Was there something you needed?"

Her brain scrambled for something to say. "A favor." _Good one_. "Two, actually."

He didn't respond, signing another sheet and placing it in the "done" pile.

"Please?" she wheedled, marching into the room and standing right in front of his desk. "I'd love you forever and ever."

As soon as the words passed her lips, she wanted to hightail it out of there—they hit too close to home. Instead, she stood her ground, trying hard not to seem affected by her blunder.

Her words seemed to have some effect, as Hitsugaya visibly froze, a hand reaching for another sheet still in midair. But it only lasted a second before his hand continued on its path. He looked up again, his aquamarine gaze meeting hers for the first time. "I can try. What is it?"

"Well, I wanted to go visit my friends in Rukongai, but Rangiku said I would need a captain's permission to go." She left it at that, knowing that he was more than smart enough to figure it out from there.

His brow furrowed. "Rukongai is dangerous," he stated unnecessarily. "Especially the part you lived in."

Karin rolled her eyes. "I know," she huffed. "I lived there. For years, actually, and survived. _Without_ this baby." She waved Fenikkusu in his face. "Now that I have it, it should be no problem."

Hitsugaya frowned, clearly thinking otherwise. "I can try," he repeated vaguely. His frown deepened. "Would this trip be for Sasaki as well?"

She nodded, nothing fake about her smile now. It had been too long since she had seen her friends—her _family_, and the thought of being with Shin and Ryo again had her feeling giddy.

"What was the other thing?" He sounded irritated, setting his pen down in a manner that showed he had given up on the idea of completing any more work.

"I'd really love it if you could help me with my kido." _Ugh._ That word again. It was as if, after years of suppressing it, it refused to be contained by her mouth any longer. "My Swordsmanship sensei moved me up to the advanced class today, but now I feel really unbalanced in my abilities. My kido is still shitty."

His eyes widened a fraction at the news, but he didn't really seem that surprised. He had fought her himself, after all. "Congratulations."

"I'm assuming you mean my advancement and not my horrendous kido skills," Karin teased with a laugh. "Thanks."

Ruffling his hair one last time, Hitsugaya stood. "_That_ I can definitely help you with. Right now, if you want me to."

It was getting late, and Karin should have been heading back to the dorms, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse his company. "Sure."

With a nod, Hitsugaya walked out of the room, pausing to look over his shoulder at her from the doorway.

Karin took that as her cue to follow him and quickly made her way to his side. He began leading her down the hallway, not saying anything. Clearly he was still brooding. Karin poked him in the side. "Stop being so depressing."

He looked down at her, startled out of his thoughts. "What?"

"You've got this whole 'woe is me' aura about you," Karin explained. "It's no wonder Rangiku ditched you today. I'm depressed just walking next to you."

Toshiro seemed to contemplate that, returning his gaze to the corridor. "I broke up with Momo today."

Karin felt her jaw begin to drop. She quickly caught it, snapping it shut.

She was an idiot. For a brief moment she had gotten so wrapped up in their conversation that she had forgotten the_ reason _why Toshiro could be depressed. And now she had just pointed it out. _Idiot._

"I'm sorry," she sputtered, not exactly sure how she should respond to his admission.

"Don't be." His gaze briefly met hers before leaving again. "I'm not."

Her heart pounded. Matsumoto had told her that they had broken up, but she neglected to mention that it was Hitsugaya who had instigated it. For some reason, it had never crossed her mind that he did, despite knowing that Hinamori was ridiculously clingy. And now, he admitted to having no regrets, despite his obvious moping. Karin wasn't sure what was going on.

She didn't have much time to think about it, either, as Hitsugaya stopped in front of a door so abruptly, she almost crashed into him. He slid it open, and Karin found herself looking at the Tenth Division's dojo.

There was no one inside. The room was large, three of its walls mirrored. The fourth was a large door that was currently slid open, revealing an enclosed garden. The wooden floor gleamed so heavily, it looked as if no one had ever stepped on it, much less fought on it.

"We can start with the binding spell, since it's simple," Hitsugaya said, settling at the center of the room. "That way, I can judge what exactly you're doing wrong."

Karin was nervous about practicing kido on him, and it must have showed, because he reassured her, "I can take it." He _was_ a captain after all, and had to have endured worse, so she backed away from him, giving herself some room.

She let her reiatsu run though her body, like she had been taught, with a concentration on her hands. "Bakudo number one: Sai."

Immediately, his arms snapped behind his back, the force of the spell bringing him to his knees. "LESS!" he barked so loudly, Karin unconsciously took a step back. But after exhaling deeply through his nose, he broke free, standing.

"I'm sorry!" Karin reached for him, but he shook his head.

"Is that what you've been setting on people?" Hitsugaya asked incredulously, stretching the ache out of his arms.

Chuckling sheepishly, all she could do was nod.

"You are using _way_ too much reiatsu," he informed her matter-of-factly. "The purpose of this particular kido spell is to restrain, not maim."

Karin crossed her arms over her chest, not appreciating his dry humor. "You don't have to rub it in," she snipped. "But how much am I supposed to be using, exactly?"

"Do it again." He seemed to be mentally steeling himself against the oncoming onslaught. "Use ten times less."

She complied, reciting the incantation to the spell. This time, though Toshiro's arms did lock behind him, it was less violently, and he was able to remain standing. She grinned, proud of her accomplishment.

"Better," Hitsugaya praised, breaking out of the spell. "But you're still using too much. Cut your reiatsu usage at least in half."

She looked at him like he had told her to cut her own hand off. "But you seemed fine," she argued. "And I'm already barely using any."

He started at that, eyebrows furrowed. "I seemed fine because I'm a captain and have a high pain tolerance," he corrected. "Try it again."

Karin repeated her actions, and his arms snapped behind his back. He quickly broke out of it. "A little less. Again."

This exchange continued a few more times, Karin beginning to wonder if he was messing with her. Finally, Hitsugaya nodded. "This is it. Remember how you did this."

Karin was so happy, she could have squeezed the life out of him. She settled for sending him a shit-eating grin instead, watching as he broke himself out of the spell.

Hitsugaya rotated his shoulders, the spell apparently beginning to take its toll on his body. "Do it again, exactly as you did it before."

As she repeated the spell with only a slight variation from before, Karin marveled at how quickly he was able to teach her. To be fair to her previous teachers, he was doing it by trial and error, and no one else, especially Daisuke, could have been able to handle the pain and accurately guide her through her mistakes. "Thanks, Toshiro."

"We're not finished yet," he responded, breaking out of the spell for the last time. "But before we move on, let's meditate. It'll give you a chance to reflect on what you've just learned, and hopefully you can apply it to other spells."

He began moving towards the garden, stepping down onto the stone path.

"Meditate," Karin repeated flatly. "As in, together?"

He looked over his shoulder at her, giving her an odd look in answer. It was dark enough outside that Karin would have had a hard time seeing him, if not for his hair. Slightly reluctant, she followed, stepping down on the path and observing as he reached for something above his head. Suddenly, his features were illuminated in a soft glow, and she understood. There were lanterns scattered around the garden, and he was lighting some of them.

As a second lantern burst into life, Karin was able to get a better grip of her surroundings. There was a pond a little to the left of where she was standing, although she couldn't tell whether it was filled with fish or not. Upon further illumination, she realized that it was more of a brook than a pond, as it flowed throughout the entire garden. The ground was covered in grass in some places and gravel in others, and while there was plenty of foliage, none of the trees blocked out the many stars that were now visible in the sky.

Lighting just enough lanterns for them to see, Hitsugaya sat down on one of the grassy parts. "Sit wherever you like."

Karin raised an eyebrow, still wondering if he was kidding. After their last meditation session...yes, he had said it hadn't bothered him, but she really didn't want to take the chance. Taking him at his word, she made her way over to him, sitting on the grass a couple feet away. His eyes were already closed, and he didn't stir.

For a second, she allowed herself to look at him in the dim light—to look at the snowy hair, always in disarray; the eyelashes that were almost as long as hers; the smooth face that would soon be marred by frown lines if he wasn't careful. He was beautiful, and as much as he would balk at the word, there was no other that could accurately describe him.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she closed her eyes as well, steadying her breathing. She quickly saw why Toshiro had wanted to meditate out here instead of in the dojo—it was very relaxing. The only sounds audible were the trickling water, the rustling of leaves as a breeze rippled through them, and their breathing.

Faster than she had ever been able to do before, Karin was in her inner world.

* * *

It was snowing again. Not a blizzard, or even a flurry—just a gentle swaying of flakes in the cool wind. Anyone else would shiver, would bundle further into their clothes, but Hitsugaya Toshiro relished the chill. The breeze embraced him; the powdery crystals kissed.

Even now, as he sat cross-legged on a snowbank, the snow felt more like a soft cushion than packed ice. Hitsugaya took a deep breath, letting the cold seep into his lungs. "I feel terrible," he said softly.

The man sitting across from him shifted, teal hair swaying in the wind. "Do you have any regrets?"

"No." There was no hesitation. "But that doesn't make me feel any better."

The man seemed to contemplate this. "You love her."

"Of course," Hitsugaya scoffed. "But not enough. And not how she wants me to."

"And why is that?"

"You know why, Hyourinmaru," Hitsugaya responded irritably.

"Because your heart lies elsewhere," Hyourinmaru murmured.

Hitsugaya didn't respond, instead trying to navigate his thoughts. He had really upset Momo today. When they were growing up, he had vowed to protect her, to hurt whoever dared make her cry. Yet today, it had been _he _who had been the one to do so.

Hyourinmaru cocked his head slightly. "Pretending would not have made her happy."

"I _know_ that." He ran a hand through his hair. "But now I'm not sure how to make it better. She was there for me when I needed her, and now I feel like I'm letting her down."

"There is nothing you can do, young one." He was no longer looking at Toshiro, instead focusing on something behind him. "Only time will tell."

Nothing was said after that, Hitsugaya contemplating what was said. His zanpakuto was right, of course. He couldn't force Hinamori to forgive him, and he couldn't force the issue. All he could do was wait.

Sifting some snow between his fingers, Toshiro glanced back at Hyourinmaru, a little taken aback by his silence. While there had been many times where the two had sat together, a word not spoken between them, the silence that had fallen then had been comfortable. Now was a time when Toshiro had looked into his soul for advice, and Hyourinmaru's silence only betrayed how distracted he was.

Hyourinmaru's icy gaze flicked to his for a moment, but soon returned to its target. Curious, Hitsugaya followed his zanpakuto's line of sight, looking over his shoulder.

There was a door.

One glance back at Hyourinmaru confirmed his suspicions—he knew exactly where the door led.

Standing and dusting snow off of himself, Hitsugaya made his way over to it. Now that he had seen it, he knew that he wouldn't be able to ignore its presence.

He had never heard of anything like it, and it intrigued him. Already, he knew that Karin could open it from her side. The question was, could he as well?

Almost of its own accord, his hand reached for the handle, but before it was turned, he hesitated. He could hear muffled voices from the other side, could feel the reiatsu bursting to get out. He knocked.

The voices abruptly stopped.

Seconds rolled by, but he didn't get any other response. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he hesitantly knocked again.

A pause. "I don't want any," she called from the other side.

Hitsugaya stared at the door, bewildered. He opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about, but shut it again as the door was abruptly opened, Karin's face immediately in view. He could feel her reiatsu swirl into his.

Her lips were quirked in amusement. "I was joking."

"Oh." He couldn't seem to think of anything more intelligent, too distracted by the red-haired woman over Karin's shoulder waggling her fingers at him.

"Was there something you needed?" Karin asked. "Or did you just want to see my beautiful face?"

"Your face, obviously," he said under his breath. She snorted, apparently not taking his words at face value. The woman behind her winked at him. He swallowed. "I just wanted to see if the door would open from this side."

"Oh!" She stepped back, closing the door again. Her voice came back muffled. "Be my guest."

For a second, Toshiro contemplated the door. Slowly, he turned the handle. No resistance was met, and he was soon looking at Karin again.

His suspicions were confirmed—he could see her inner world as well. Even though going into another's inner world was impossible, they were able to easily infiltrate each other's. The strangeness was rapidly getting stranger.

Karin leaned against the doorway, snowflakes beginning to adorn her hair. "So? What does this mean?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "None of this should be possible."

The woman behind Karin began blowing him kisses, and Hitsugaya flushed, not really sure what to do.

Karin, finally taking notice of his line of sight, turned around and caught her zanpakuto in the act. She blushed, a scowl firmly in place. "Okay!" she yelled, pushing herself off the doorframe. "That's enough meditating!"

And the door abruptly slammed in his face.

* * *

Honestly, she couldn't _believe_ that woman's audacity! Karin inwardly fumed, standing up from the grass. How was she supposed to respect Toshiro's feelings when her zanpakuto insisted on making kissy faces at him?

She ran her hands over her face, trying to will some of the heat away. She wondered just how long Fenikkusu had been doing it while her back was turned.

Hitsugaya stood up as well. She was afraid he was going to ask her about it, but he tactfully ignored it, instead asking, "Are you ready to move on to the next exercise?"

It was dark, and Karin knew she should be heading back to the dorms. But she seemed so productive tonight that she didn't want to break her focus. _If that stupid bird-woman hasn't broken it already_, she inwardly moped.

Outwardly, she nodded, and Hitsugaya looked away, seemingly in thought. After a moment, he turned back to her. "Have you mastered Hado number one?"

"No," Karin replied sourly. She had said her kido sucked, hadn't she?

"Well, let's try that one." He looked behind himself, making sure he wouldn't be blasted into something that could hurt. "Go ahead."

Self-consciously, she steeled her feet, knowing what would occur. She pointed a finger at him. "Hado number one: Sho!"

A blue light began to form at the end of her finger, and for a second, she thought the spell would go correctly. Then, she felt herself flying backwards.

One thing quickly became apparent—while Toshiro had made sure nothing was behind him, Karin had not. Unable to stop the momentum of the spell, she skidded into the shallow pond, for a second completely submerged. Sputtering, she surfaced, water streaming down her face.

And then Hitsugaya was laughing.

She watched, slightly in awe, as he bent over with the force of his laughs, hands on his knees and eyes closed in hilarity. The corners of his lips reached up for once, and he sounded as if he might burst into hysterics at any moment.

Embarrassed but too amused to be too much so, Karin crawled out of the pond, water pouring off of her. "I knew I could make you smile," she said, unplastering her hair from her head and beginning to wring it out, "I just didn't know I had to drown myself to do it."

Hitsugaya stopped laughing then, but Karin could clearly see he was holding it in—his aquamarine eyes were watery and glowed with amusement, and his lips were still upturned. "I'm sorry," he got out, barely suppressing a laugh.

Karin fought down her own laugh. "Yeah, yeah." She could feel bits of leafy algae stringing in her hair, and she knelt by the pond, hoping to use its now disturbed waters as a mirror. With as much dignity as she could muster, she began taking it out.

Hitsugaya couldn't help the snort that escaped him. She looked like a drowned rat. "I'm sorry," he said again, making his way to her side. "Here, let me help you."

"No, I got it," Karin replied stubbornly.

He scoffed, lightly smacking her hand away. "You can't even see what you're doing."

Karin rolled her eyes, but conceded, turning towards him. "I'll get you all wet," she warned.

He knelt beside her. "It's just water," he scoffed, reaching into her hair. Her hair tie had been lost, so it was easy for him to remove the plant bits.

For her part, Karin hadn't realized what she was getting herself into. Hitsugaya was a lot closer than she had anticipated, their faces only inches apart. In retrospect, she should had seen this coming, as it was dark out and the lanterns only offered dim light. She felt a shiver go down her spine as his fingers worked their way through her hair, and she tried to distract herself. "And now you see why I need help in kido."

He chuckled, once, the air ghosting onto her skin. "You weren't kidding. You know you were supposed to push _me_ back, don't you?"

"Oh really?" she shot back sarcastically. "Is that what I've been doing wrong all this time?"

He didn't answer, but his lips curled up slightly. Karin found herself staring at them. It was so rare that they were in any other expression than "annoyed," "indifferent," or "pissed off." It was nice to see that stone-faced Hitsugaya Toshiro was able to laugh, even if the only thing that seemed to do it was her looking like a swamp monster.

Suddenly, she noticed that the hands in her hair had stopped their ministrations. Karin blinked, looking up at his eyes.

He was looking back at her.

Her breath caught at the look he was giving her and her body flooded with adrenaline. His eyes no longer held the amusement they previously had; now they were filled with something she couldn't identify, something that he had looked at her with before. She found herself unable to look from his gaze, a shudder passing thorough her as he pushed some hair behind her ear, his fingers continuing their path down her jawline. Nervously, she licked her lips, and she noticed when his eyes flicked down to watch the movement.

She consciously inhaled a shuddering breath, her body having forgotten to. But all thoughts of breathing were halted when his lips met hers.

Even from behind her closed lids, Karin saw stars. It was as if they had come down from the heavens to grace her with their presence. She felt as if her universe had been shaken, as if up was no longer up, but sideways. A relieved sigh could be heard in her head.

And once again she felt his heartbeat pounding in her chest, felt her whole body electrified and on fire and cool at the same time. It was just like when they had fought, when he had trapped her against the wall, but ten times as intense.

So intense that she broke the kiss, eyes fluttering open and practically gasping for breath. Her arm hair was raised, and she wondered whether there were actually sparks in the air or if something was wrong with her vision.

Across from her, Toshiro slowly opened his eyes as well, their color dark and hazy.

For a second, Karin contemplated going in for round two. Then, the full force of what she had done hit her, and she gasped. "_I'm so sorry!"_

She tried to scramble away from him, but he had apparently anticipated this, locking her arm in a steely grip. "No more running," he said softly. "No more."

Karin blinked at him owlishly, her will to fight vanishing. He was right. They had been dancing around the subject for years and years and years—it was time to face it and move on with their lives.

His grip softened, but he didn't let her go. "_I_ kissed _you_," he said stoically. "Why are you sorry?"

Because he had just broken up with his girlfriend that morning. Because he had been clearly hurting, and she had taken advantage of it. "Because I love you," she responded in a small voice.

That had not been what he expected her to say; he looked visibly startled. She swallowed her feeling of dread and continued. "Listen, I tried to ignore it. I really did, at first because I was too young, and then because I thought it was pointless, and then because you had a girlfriend and my feelings would just be a burden. But it's just been eating me up inside, and I thought you should know—"

Hitsugaya held up a hand, effectively silencing her. His eyes softened. "Why do you think I kissed you?"

It was then that her traitorous body decided to blush, her body burning with the memory. She ignored it. "Because you're confused. You just broke up with your girlfriend today."

"And why do you think I broke up with her?" he asked patiently.

Karin blinked, stumped at that question. She nearly jumped out of her skin as one of his hands came up to cradle her face, forcing her to look at him.

"Because I'm in love with you," he said simply, eyes scanning her for her reaction.

But there barely was one—she just kept blinking at him. "Oh," she said quietly, suddenly realizing that Matsumoto was a lot smarter a woman than most people gave her credit for. She had known that Hitsugaya had loved her all along, and often blatantly hinted at it. All of a sudden, Karin felt very stupid.

He took his hand back, a thoughtful look coming over his face. "Since when?" he asked.

If her face wasn't burning before, it definitely was now. Karin couldn't remember being so embarrassed in her life, and she thanked the fact that it was dark out, and he might not be able to tell. But she wouldn't try to run again. They would get past this awkward conversation and never have to mention it again. "Ever since that time you sat with me at my mother's grave."

"Since then?" Hitsugaya asked incredulously. "That was a long time ago!"

"So?" she bit back defensively.

He looked skeptical. "Even when you were in Rukongai?"

"Even then," she whispered, studiously picking at a blade of grass. "Even when I didn't remember who you were. I used to have these dreams…"

There was something in his silence that made her look up. He was blushing.

She hit him hard on the arm. "Not those kind of dreams, you perv!" she hissed. "We would just be standing at the railing, like we always used to. Jeez."

Hitsugaya coughed.

"What about you?" She was trying to make him feel as awkward as she did, but she was also genuinely curious.

This time, it was Toshiro who looked uncomfortable. "When I fell in love with you, or when I realized I was in love with you?" he asked self-consciously.

Karin tilted her head in surprise. "There's a difference?"

"I was talking to Hyourinmaru, and he helped me realize the difference between how I felt about you and how I felt about Momo." He shifted uncomfortably. "That's when I realized I loved you."

She felt her heart skip a beat. Every time he said the words—_I love you_—she had to repress the slap-happy grin threatening to take over her face. "Then when did you actually fall in love with me?" she asked, somewhat shyly.

Even in the dim light, she could see his cheeks color, and he looked away from her, choosing instead to focus on a piece of foliage floating in the pond. "Once I realized I loved you, I couldn't remember a time when I did not."

Karin really wanted to kiss him then, just hold him down and work out all of the frustration that had been building up within her for almost a decade. But she held back. She needed to know his answer. "What is it exactly that you want from me?"

Hitsugaya looked back at her then, his expression still soft. "Whatever you're willing to give me." He paused. "But if all you want is to go back to how things were before, I don't think I could handle it."

No, she didn't think she could handle it either. But what exactly was it that she wanted? Even _she_ wasn't sure. But he was waiting for her answer, so she decided to try. "I want to have a relationship where we can tell each other anything," she started. "One where we respect each other and make each other smile, and where being around each other doesn't feel like an obligation, or a chore."

Hitsugaya nodded in agreement. "But we have all of those things already," he pointed out.

"I know." She twiddled the blade of grass again. "But I want to make sure it stays that way." Her eyes burned into his. "If you ever decide you don't want to be with me anymore, ever wake up and realize that the love you had for me is gone, I want you to say so. I don't want to be strung along like Hinamori. Yes, I will be hurt, but it will hurt much more if you pity me. Do you understand?"

In his heart, he knew that that day would never come, that that would never be an issue. But, in order to appease her, he nodded again.

"And finally," Karin continued, "I want to be one of those couples that are cool enough to wear joint costumes for Halloween. You know, Bonnie and Clyde, two peas in a pod, a donkey."

He balked at that. "You want to be a _donkey_?"

"Of course not," Karin scoffed. "The point is, everyone knows that a donkey costume takes two people." She paused. "But if we did, you would be the back half."

He shook his head. "Whatever you want."

Karin grinned. He was willing to be an ass's ass—and all just for her. She _knew _there was a reason she loved this kid. Without a second thought, she leaned forward, lightly brushing her lips with his. While there was no cosmic explosion this time, the butterflies in her stomach were restless, and when they parted, they were both blushing.

That would take some getting used to.

But sadly, reality began to hit Karin. She sighed, staring at her feet. "We should probably keep this quiet for a while."

"Why?" Hitsugaya teased. "Are you ashamed of me?"

"Of course not, you dope." She rolled her eyes. "But you just broke up with Hinamori today. If you're suddenly with me tomorrow, it'll seem like you never really cared about her."

"That's stupid," he stated. "Of course I cared. I still do."

"It may be stupid, but it's true," she retorted. "Think about how it'll look to people, and how she'll feel."

Toshiro really didn't want to make Momo feel any worse than he already had. "You're right," he concurred.

"I always am," she replied snidely.

Sighing, he stood up, holding his hand out for her to do the same. "It's late. Let's get you out of those wet clothes."

Karin smirked, waggling her eyebrows.

He looked to the heavens for guidance. "Not that," he snapped, grabbing her hand and hoisting her upright. "Who's the pervert now?"

Karin burst out laughing, the happy feeling in her chest making her sort of delirious. "It's fine. I need to shower anyway, so I can just wait until I get back to the dorms."

"Okay. I'll walk you back," he conceded. He paused, the grip on her hand tightening. "Is this okay?"

She wanted to laugh again, because she found it funny that he had no problems kissing her but apparently felt hand-holding required permission first. Instead, she nodded, ignoring the heat in her face and lacing her fingers through his.

They stayed that way, all the way to the Fifth Division. And even though they didn't touch after that, they walked too close together to merely be considered platonic.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open.

She wasn't sure why she was awake—everything seemed the same. Ichigo, arm wrapped protectively around her even in sleep, snored into her hair. A quick check for reiatsu told her that no one was in the house besides the two of them. Even Zangetsu was right where Ichigo had left him, leaning against their closet door.

A small breeze came through the window, ruffling the curtains. It was then that Rukia noticed the Hell Butterfly hovering in front of her.

Moving carefully as to not wake her husband, she lifted a finger, giving it something to land on and waiting for the message.

_Lucy, you've got some 'splainin' to do!_

_Oh, and don't tell anyone. Especially the cat._

Rukia froze. She didn't know any Lucys, but she understood the message loud and clear. Karin had held up her end of the bargain—apparently to positive results—now it was time to hold up hers.

Behind her, Ichigo shifted, burying his face further into her neck.

This wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

**A/N: WHEW! You have no idea how good it feels to write all that. It only took me 36 chapters, 2.75 years, and 272 pages for them to kiss. *eyes shift to the side* Good grief!**

**Oh, and a little insight for those who didn't get my hint—Gin was the one who gave Matsumoto her necklace. Those two really had me depressed—as I was writing this, I decided to look up the anime clip of Gin dying (since I mostly just read the manga nowadays), and I was seriously crying in a corner. It was terrible. The pure anguish in Matsumoto's voice...I'm getting upset thinking about it now. Let me just stop. T_T**

**Let me know.**


	37. Chapter 37

**You're all getting an updaaaaate! *in my Oprah voice***

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the love. I'm glad everyone enjoyed that last chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a long time coming.**

**As you can see, this chappie is not nearly as long as that one. As I said before, don't get used to it—I was on a roll and couldn't be bothered to split it up. This chapter is back to the normal length, and for good reason. First of all, that last chapter was a pain in the ass to finish. Secondly, I'm not sure if you've read my profile recently or not, but I'm currently studying abroad! So, I'm not sure how much time I will necessarily have to write. But I definitely will, especially when the mood strikes me.**

**Okay, enough rambling. On to the chapter!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, it wouldn't have so many characters. Seriously, writing fanfiction for Bleach sometimes is a pain in the ass because of all of the characters, so I **_**know**_** Kubo is going crazy.**

* * *

"Yuzu!" Karin hissed, shutting the door behind her and making her way over to her twin's side of the room.

Said twin swiftly sat up in bed, long hair mussed. Clearly confused, she sleepily scrambled to turn on her lamp. "What happened?" she slurred, eyes squinting at the sudden light. "What's wrong?"

Karin knew she had a goofy grin on her face, but she didn't care. If there was someone who would let her have her girly moment, it was Yuzu. "Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all."

Yuzu finally seemed to awaken, looking at Karin's soggy form in confusion. "What _happened_ to you?"

Oh, what _hadn't_ happened to her? Karin sighed wistfully, mentally reliving the past couple hours. She wandered to her side of the room.

Okay, Yuzu was no longer merely confused—she was dumbfounded. Kurosaki Karin was sighing wistfully. Kurosaki Karin was looking into nothingness, a faraway look in her eye.

Kurosaki Karin normally did none of these things.

Worriedly, Yuzu climbed out of bed, making her way over to her sister. "What _happened_, Karin?"

Karin came to her senses, peeling off her now disgusting socks. "Toshiro kissed me." She paused. "Oh, and I fell in a pond."

Yuzu's expression changed from worried to ecstatic so fast, Karin was surprised her face didn't get whiplash. "He kissed you?" she squealed, her nose scrunching cutely. "Smelling like _that?_"

"Yes," Karin answered dreamily. "Yuzu, he _kissed_ me!"

Yuzu looked so happy, one would have thought she was the one who had been kissed. "Then what happened?" she demanded, absently smoothing down some of her fly-away hairs with her hand. "You know what? Start from the beginning."

And so she did. Yuzu sat on Karin's bed, the avid listener, and Karin told her everything, stripping out of her dirty clothes as she did.

It felt good to tell her, this person who had been rooting for them from the beginning. Despite their vow not to tell anyone, Hitsugaya agreed that it was okay for Rukia and Yuzu to know, since neither of them were gossips. On the other hand, because she was the _Queen_ of Gossip, Matsumoto Rangiku was _not_ to know at all costs. It wasn't that Matsumoto purposely revealed secrets—she was just a rambunctious, talkative person with a filter that barely worked. This was why Karin took extra care to tell Rukia not to bring her new relationship status to Matsumoto's attention. Better safe than sorry.

Yuzu sighed at the end of the tale. "That was so romantic," she swooned.

"I _know_." From her tone of voice, it was clear Karin couldn't believe it herself. "I keep waiting to wake up."

Yuzu launched herself into her sister's arms, squeezing tight. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Yu." Karin hugged her back. "I'm happy for me too."

"You know what this means, don't you?" Yuzu winked. "The winter wedding is back on!"

"Yuzu!" Karin gasped, looking properly scandalized. "Don't you think you should slow your roll a little? We just got together!"

"Officially," the younger twin corrected, gleefully ignoring her sister's blush. "You just got together _officially_. But you've been together forever. Normal people would have been married with _grandchildren_ by now."

She was just getting used to holding the boy's hand, and Yuzu was talking about kids? _Grandkids?_ Karin willed herself not to blush more at her twin's exaggerations. "We like to take our time, okay?" she said defensively. "And besides, I do recall this winter wedding including you."

Yuzu let her go then, her smile faltering. Though she tried to hide it, Karin could easily pinpoint the hurt in her eyes. "But," she started, much quieter than before, "Jinta—"

"No one said anything about that asshole," Karin interrupted. "You don't need him."

Yuzu's doe eyes blinked at Karin's intensity.

"I'm talking about _you_." Karin grabbed her hand, squeezing it. She looked intently into her sister's eyes, making sure she knew she meant business. "When you find a guy, someone who treats you like the queen you are and worships the ground you walk on. When you find a guy that is worthy of breathing the same air as you, _that's_ when I'll consider this wedding."

"Karin-chan…" Yuzu sniffed, but thankfully no tears fell. "For all you know, I'll never find someone else. It's not fair to make Hitsugaya-kun wait."

Karin looked at her incredulously. _Yuzu_ not finding anyone? That was as likely as Matsumoto getting a breast reduction. "Oh, you'll find someone, alright." She winked. "And who said that I'd be marrying Toshiro? That Hisagi-taicho has a pretty hot bod."

Her teasing worked—Yuzu laughed. "He _is_ pretty attractive."

Karin, unable to keep a straight face, broke out into a grin. "Hey, back off," she joked. "I already called dibs."

The younger twin laughed again. "And Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Meh," Karin replied, waving her hand nonchalantly. "The thrill of the chase is gone. You can have him."

But all jokes aside, Yuzu could see how happy Karin was. It was in the way she held herself, the sparkle in her eye, the extra pep in her step.

A smile graced her lips as she watched Karin gather things for her shower. "It's almost like that legend," she murmured to herself.

Karin tightened the towel around her body. "What?"

"You know," Yuzu replied, hugging her knees to her chest and digging her toes into the bed. "The one about the phoenix and the dragon."

Vaguely, Karin remembered learning about it, possibly in grade school. Something about the phoenix being the yin to the dragon's yang.

She blushed at what Yuzu was getting at. "It's similar," she admitted, making her way out of the room, "but just a little."

* * *

Clutching her head and groaning, Matsumoto Rangiku shuffled into the Tenth Division office. Not only did she feel as if someone was going to town on her head with a sledgehammer, but it was much too bright outside for her tastes, and she was so nauseous, she felt like she was going to pull a Rukia any second.

Sure, she could have used kido to quell the effects of her hangover. But Matsumoto never allowed it. If she was able to succumb to her weakness, to try to blur out her hurt and forget her feelings, then she sure as hell was able to face the consequences.

Unfortunately, she was a couple hours late to work that morning. Said consequences were bound to include being screamed at by her taicho when she could barely tolerate the sound of her own breathing.

Sighing and not even bothering to slink in unnoticed, Matsumoto slid open the door, preparing for the worst.

At her appearance, Hitsugaya Toshiro looked up from his work. "Good morning, Matsumoto," he said quietly, gaze flicking back to his paperwork.

Matsumoto froze, eyes darting around confusedly. "Good morning," she replied, slowly making her way to her desk and hoping not to awaken the beast. She waited for the screaming, or the sarcasm, or, at the very least, an eye roll.

Hitsugaya flipped a page.

"That's it?" she blurted incredulously. "That's all you have to say to me?"

Aquamarine eyes met hers curiously. "I made some coffee." He was still using his hangover-friendly voice, loud enough for her to hear him, but not enough to make her head split in two. "You should have some. I can smell the sake from here."

The buxom blonde's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why are you in such a good mood today?"

For a second, Toshiro seemed to ponder that, what looked like a small smile gracing his features. But then Matsumoto blinked, and it was gone, making her question if she had seen it at all. "Class field trips are today," he replied, ignoring her question completely. "You didn't forget, did you?"

_Damn._ She _had_ forgotten. Groaning, she slumped towards the aforementioned coffeepot. She had to at least _seem_ sober for all the newbies.

Not even bothering with cream or sugar, Matsumoto practically inhaled her cup, wincing a little as the bitter liquid burned on the way down.

"You'll probably need two," the snowy-haired taicho mused from his desk.

Matsumoto opened her mouth, ready to tease him about caring about her well-being, when she heard it.

Her eyes widened, disbelieving. Was her taicho..._humming? _

Her jaw dropped open slightly. "Who are you and what have you done with my captain?" she demanded loudly, pointing a finger at the impostor accusingly.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her blankly for a second. Then, Hitsugaya shook his head, turning his attention back to his paperwork. "Get to work, Matsumoto."

Matsumoto pouted, but made her way back to her desk. She looked back at her captain with narrowed eyes.

Something was going on here, and she was going to find out what it was.

* * *

Kurosaki Rukia made her way through the Kuchiki mansion, nodding a greeting to the maids that bowed to her along the way. For some reason, her brother had requested for her to meet him for breakfast, and while it wasn't strange to find the Kuchiki siblings sharing meals together, it was quite odd that he would want to meet with her today of all days.

Mentally, Rukia counted. She had about an hour before she had to leave and prepare her division for the incoming Academy students. She yawned, resisting the urge to rub her eyes. After Karin's late-night message, she couldn't fall back to sleep.

The panic, before merely skating below her radar, came to the surface of her consciousness at full force. When she thought about telling Ichigo that she might not want to have his child, her heart seemed to stop and her throat closed up. She could just see the hurt in his eyes, the disappointment. It was enough to make her thoroughly hate herself, to make her eyes fill up. Just the thought of it all made her want to vomit.

As such, Rukia had had a hard time keeping anything down this morning. She hoped her brother would not be offended.

Swallowing down her emotions, Rukia slid open the door to the appropriate room.

Kuchiki Byakuya sat within, sipping on a cup of tea as he overlooked his garden through the open shoji door. He did not turn to look at her, not even when she bowed respectfully. "Rukia," he said in greeting.

"Good morning, Nii-sama," Rukia returned, sitting down across the table from him. She followed his gaze, frowning slightly at the pond. "Where are the koi?"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. "A Kusajishi-fukutaicho-proof lock has yet to be created," he responded impassively.

Rukia smiled besides herself, wondering why her brother even bothered getting more fish when he knew the pink-haired lieutenant would just steal them again.

Byakuya turned fully to her, then, gesturing towards the array of fruit and beverages sitting in front of him. Rukia politely declined, her stomach churning at the thought.

The head of the Kuchiki clan frowned. "How is your health?"

That threw Rukia off guard. She was so surprised, she couldn't help her slight stuttering. "F-Fine."

"And your eating?" He took another sip of his tea. "Are you getting enough nutrients?"

Her mind flitted to the wholly unhealthy things she had practically been inhaling. "Well…"

"Have you been to a doctor?"

Rukia blinked. It had only been a few days! "Not since I fainted."

Kuchiki Byakuya had been called many things—a pretty boy, a cold-hearted bastard, a party pooper—but Rukia knew the truth. Byakuya was one big softy. For example, he could keep Yachiru off of his property if he really wanted to, but he chose to endure her shenanigans for her sake. "She is young and impressionable," he had once told Rukia. "Any time away from the barbarians of the Eleventh is time well spent." He hoped some of his grace and manners would rub off on the growing girl. Rukia wondered if he was aware of Yachiru's massive girl-crush on him.

Then, of course, there was Rukia herself. Byakuya had famously kept Rukia from being a seated officer in order to protect her from getting hurt, and had taught her the cold, rigid ways of the Kuchiki house so that the Kuchiki elders would not have anything unsatisfactory to say. (He had also tried to get her killed that one time...but she would let that one slide. After all, it resulted Ichigo going through hell and high water to save her. And that had been hot.)

"Rukia." Even now, while his face remained expressionless, his eyes said it all. "You need to take better care of yourself."

"Nii-sama," Rukia murmured, at a loss of what to say to his concern.

"Your—" He paused, returning his gaze back to his garden. "My wife, Hisana." His voice was quiet, as if it was being stolen by the wind before it could reach her ears. "She was very sick. She died from complications of a pregnancy."

Rukia quelled her urge to gasp, her eyes as big as dinner plates. She had never heard this detail about her brother's wife before. "I didn't know—"

"No one does," he interrupted, still not looking at her. "We did not tell anyone. Hisana...was unsure as to whether she deserved to be a mother."

_Deserved? _Rukia had never questioned whether she _deserved_ to be a mother, just whether she _should. _Still, she felt a strange sort of kinship to this woman who she had never met, had only seen pictures of. And she didn't dare question her brother, as it was rare for him to be so chatty.

"The pregnancy was never announced." Byakuya didn't seem to be looking at what was in front of him anymore—he seemed to be very far away. "Only Hisana, her doctor, and myself knew about it. Three years in, Hisana grew ill."

There was no need for him to continue. "I'm sorry," Rukia said softly.

He looked at her then, his eyes uncharacteristically soft. "I shall arrange an appointment with Unohana-taicho. You must take care of yourself, Rukia."

"Of course." She felt her eyes begin to burn, but she refused to cry in front of him. Tears were unbefitting of a Kuchiki, but her stupid hormones were making it hard not to turn into a blubbering mess. "Thank you, Nii-sama."

Byakuya nodded once. They both watched the koi-less pond in silence.

* * *

**A/N: A few things. 1.) I know Karin may seem sort of OOC in this chapter. But people tend to forget that she's a girl too, and she's entitled to her girly feelings. And think about it—this is her first boyfriend, **_**and**_** it's Hitsugaya. I would be doing an effing jig. 2.) A little twist on Hisana. Oh dang! :D Oh, and in case it was too ambiguous, the reason Hisana felt she didn't deserve motherhood was because she still felt guilty about abandoning Rukia (who, in fact, had been a baby at the time).**


	38. Chapter 38

**Sweet baby Jesus, long chapter is LONG.**

**I would first off like to say that I didn't intend for this to be a monster of a chapter, but it once again felt too weird to be split up or shortened, so I just didn't. I'm guessing that you guys aren't complaining. Haha**

**On that note, I noticed that **_**Rapture**_**'s third birthday recently passed. Not only that, but my reviews are currently 1,111 and I have just gone over 300 pages, which is enough writing for a freaking novel. I guess we'll all just celebrate these achievements with this extra-long chappie. :D Thanks for all the support you guys have given me throughout the years! ^_^**

**Let's just get to it! I'll put all of my other ramblings at the end.**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, it would be kinda terrible because I can't draw for shit.**

* * *

If there was one thing that could burst Karin's bubble, this was definitely it.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Ono Reika, Karin's bitchy archnemesis demanded. Her curly blond hair, usually running free down her back, was instead braided into a sensible plait, and her hazel eyes turned into slits.

Karin sighed heavily. What were the chances that she would end up in the same class as her? She didn't even know that Reika was in the advanced class. "I got promoted," she responded wryly, looking around the room with interest. While her previous Swordsmanship class had twenty people in it, this one seemed to have half as many, most of them men.

Reika scoffed, interrupting Karin's musings. Without anyone from her posse in the class to back her up, she looked twice as ridiculous. "I see," she sneered. "Daddy pulled a few strings?"

Karin bristled, but didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she looked the blonde straight in the eye, watching with satisfaction as Reika unconsciously took a step back. "If believing that is what helps you sleep at night, then by all means, dream on."

Reika glowered, her face turning red in anger. But before a retort could leave her lips, a woman entered the room.

Her hair, styled in a no-nonsense pixie-cut, was reddish-brown. Her eyes were also brown, and if it wasn't for the laugh lines around them, Karin would have assumed the woman was her age.

"Is everyone ready for the field trip?" the woman asked pleasantly, her firm voice catching everyone's attention.

Excited chatter instantly filled the room. The woman smiled, her eyes crinkling in a way that made Karin instantly like her. "Then let's head to the First!"

"Field trip?" Karin asked no one in particular, watching as her classmates began to leave the room, animately talking.

Reika shook her head disgustedly, not even bothering to answer her before making her way towards the others.

Karin watched her leave, feeling out of place and not sure what was going on. Hesitantly, she took a step towards the door.

"You're a new face," a voice commented to her right.

It was the same woman as before. Her eyes crinkled again as she smiled warmly at her. "You must be Kurosaki. I'm the instructor for this course."

Kimura-sensei. This woman, who was clearly older than she looked, was her teacher.

Embarrassed for not figuring this out before, Karin started to bow, but Kimura-sensei shook her head. "No need for formalities," she said, beginning to walk and prompting Karin to do the same. "Today is sort of a relaxed day anyway."

"What exactly is going on?" Karin asked, following Kimura out of the room and outside. Her classmates were leading the way down the sidewalk, laughing and talking amongst themselves.

"Oh that's right. You're a first-year," Kimura-sensei mused. She glanced over at Karin, allowing her to see that her eyes weren't just brown, but had golden flecks in them. "It's so rare for first-years to be put in this class. You and Ono are the first in a while."

Karin wanted to protest being put in the same category as Reika, but she held her tongue, letting her teacher continue.

"As you know, it usually takes six years to graduate from the Academy. This class is intended for fourth-years, and maybe a few over-achieving third-years. These students are graduating soon, and need to think about where they would want to be placed after graduation."

"Wait, we get to choose the division we get placed in?" Karin asked curiously.

Kimura-sensei looked at her oddly, surprised at the question. "Sort of. The divisions have to choose _you_ first. Once they're interested, you can decide which one you want to be a part of." She paused. "You've never heard this before?"

How could she? She had never asked. And she never _thought_ to ask, what with the whole dying/regaining her memories/pining after Hitsugaya/entering the Academy/gaining her zanpakuto/Rukia pregnancy thing. Her life had just been so crazy that she never stopped to think about what would happen once she actually _graduated _from the Academy. Sheepishly, Karin shook her head. "And how do you get the divisions interested?"

"There is a practical test that you take a semester before graduation. All of the captains and lieutenants come and watch, and are able to decide if they want you based on how you perform. A week later, you will get a list containing the divisions that want you, and the positions they are offering."

"No pressure or anything," Karin muttered.

Kimura-sensei laughed, the sound melodic and full of patience. It was then that Karin realized it—despite her young appearance, Kimura-sensei gave off a distinctly motherly vibe. She had to at least be as old as Isshin. _However old _that_ was, _she mused.

"So what does all of that have to do with this field trip?" Karin asked. She blinked as the whole group abruptly stopped walking.

In front of her was a building emblazoned with the kanji for "one".

"Students have to know what each division is like before they commit to it," Kimura told her before moving to the front of the group. She turned, facing the entire class, before she announced, "Today, we will be visiting each division."

* * *

Karin's first impression of the First Division was that it seemed very organized. _Too_ organized, if you asked her. There were no shinigami scurrying about, no mountains of paperwork, no screaming, and seeing as she had encountered these things in every division she had ever had contact with, this made her a little wary.

Her suspicions were proven justified when the First's fukutaicho, a man that greatly resembled a French butler, explained, "The First is ranked the highest out of all the divisions in Seireitei. We purposely set the bar high. We are what shinigami should be."

Yamamoto-soutaicho, who had been stoically standing beside his fukutaicho, cleared his throat. He was very old and very wrinkly, but authority still seemed to seep off of him. "Anyone intending to join my division must be willing to work hard," he said in a raspy voice that reminded her of the senile old man that used to live around the corner from her when she was growing up.

But then his eyes, previously shut behind his wrinkly folds of skin, suddenly opened, and Karin retracted that thought immediately. His eyes roved the group, and seemed to settle on her. "We are the best. We accept nothing _but_ the best."

Karin froze, a little put off by his intensity.

"Our standards are extremely high. If you are hoping to skate by with minimal effort, this is not the division for you. This is a division for those who always strive to better themselves." Yamamoto's face softened again, his eyes re-shutting. He turned towards his lieutenant. "Now, how about we show the students the dojo?"

As they were herded down a hallway, Karin heard her classmates murmuring. The general consensus seemed to be that the First Division was a little too...passionate for their tastes, and Karin had to agree. While she was a hard worker and loved to better herself, she got the gist that the First didn't take kindly to failure, and that was just too much pressure. She felt like she wouldn't be able to relax, ever.

Despite the soutaicho's apparent interest in her, Karin doubted she would ever be offered a position with the First. It was way too strict for a laid-back person like her.

* * *

The contrast between the taicho and fukutaicho of the Second Division almost made Karin laugh out loud. While still taller than Rukia by a few inches, Soi Fon-taicho was a tiny, petite woman whose steely gaze showed she meant business. On the other hand, the man standing next to her looked like a giant, fat buffoon.

"The Second is closely tied with the Onmitsukido," the woman said, her voice dripping with authority. "We are looking for recruits that are sharp, excellent in shunpo, and able to kill at a moment's notice."

Karin blanched. While it all sounded so cool and ninja-y, she wasn't sure how she felt about assassinations. She didn't think she was cold-blooded enough for the job. Nevertheless, she mentally checked off the Second as a contender. "I'll think about it," she murmured to herself.

A voice to her left scoffed, and Karin turned to see the only other girl in her class. Glasses covered her dark eyes, and her mousey brown hair was cut practically at the chin. She looked at Karin as if she was crazy. "Think about it?" she half hissed, half whispered. "The fukutaicho's loaded! This place has got automatic doors and heated floors. I've even heard that they might have their own swimming pool hidden somewhere!"

Now that she mentioned it, Karin's toes _were_ nice and toasty. Why a division that had yet to invest in computers would have such fancy floors was beyond her.

The girl sighed wistfully. "Not to mention it's a prestigious division. Did you know that both Shihoin Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke were members?"

She couldn't be talking about those nuts that lived around the corner from her. "Urahara?" she blurted, too shocked at this revelation to remember to keep her voice down. "_And_ his crazy cat lady girlfriend?"

The room was suddenly silent as the taicho of the Second Division stopped talking. Karin froze, warily returning her gaze to the front of the room.

Soi Fon was looking straight at her, eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yoruichi-sama is the former captain of this division," she said lowly. "Urahara Kisuke is a fool, but Yoruichi-sama is anything but. She is beautiful, smart, funny, and completely sane. How could you possibly believe otherwise?"

Karin could feel everyone's eyes on her. She swallowed, her stomach clenching at the awkwardness of the situation. She could already tell that Soi Fon didn't like her, and could see no easy way out of this. However, if there was one thing Karin was, it was honest, so when she answered the petite woman, it was truthfully. "Well, she likes to run around naked. Which I guess isn't that strange, but it is if you run around naked in front of other people like it's no big deal. Oh, and the fact that she randomly turns into a cat for the hell of it. Now that I think about it, the only times I've seen her, she's been either naked or a cat."

Not to mention her..._thing_ with Urahara, whatever they were to each other. Geniuses were said to be eccentric, and Urahara definitely lived up to this stereotype—the man wore a striped bucket-hat and geta, for kami's sake. But put him with Yoruichi and things just managed to reach a new level of weirdness. Karin vividly remembered the time she stopped by Urahara Shoten after school to pick up a slushie and found Yoruichi in cat form, lounging on Urahara's lap and purring loudly as he ran his fingers down her spine.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san," the shop owner had greeted merrily. "Good afternoon! I was just stroking the kitty." Then, slowly and deliberately caressing the cat's fur, he said in a completely different tone, "Does the kitty like being stroked?"

Karin had immediately left the way she came, sans slushie and feeling perverted and weirdly violated.

So, in summary, Karin had good reason to believe Urahara and Yoruichi were both insane, and possibly into some kinky shit. She didn't elaborate any of this to the group, however, feeling the cat woman's nudist tendencies were enough evidence to rightfully declare her crazy.

While everyone else murmured, scandalized that such a legend would behave that way, Soi Fon looked insulted, as if Karin suggested that _she _was the one who needed the straightjacket. Which, from the glare she was sending her way, Karin was starting to believe.

"We're running a little low on time, Soi Fon-taicho," Kimura-sensei spoke up. Karin could have kissed the woman. "Would you mind giving the students a little tour of the division?"

Soi Fon's gaze stayed on Karin for a little longer. Then, blinking, she was once again looking at the crowd as a whole. "Very well. Omaeda, show them around."

* * *

After that display, Karin knew she would have her work cut out for her if she ever wanted to join the Second. She was still a first-year and had time to make her decision and prove her worth, so she wasn't too heartbroken. She wasn't that impressed with the Second anyway.

The Third Division was one she was used to, seeing as it was her father's. Isshin winked at her and Kira gave her a small smile, looking more than a little hungover. Of course, Reika noticed this, muttering just loud enough for Karin to hear, "Don't worry, Daddy'll have a place for you."

Karin pushed down the urge to throttle her and wisely said nothing, hoping her father would at least have the decency not to embarrass her in front of her new classmates. Luckily, after the initial display of affection, Isshin acted how he often did with his former patients—normal and professional. Karin had long since given up wondering if her father was bipolar.

After that, the group headed over to the Fourth Division. Unohana-taicho smiled softly at her, but, to be fair, she smiled at everyone.

Even though both she and the fukutaicho seemed really sweet, and the division itself seemed like a really welcoming place, Karin immediately crossed the Fourth off her list for one reason alone—the Fourth specialized in healing kido, and kido was the one thing Karin was complete shit at. It didn't help that she would be assigned to sewer-cleaning duty.

Despite knowing that this wasn't the division for her, after the tour of the grounds, Karin didn't want to leave.

Because after four came five, and she really wasn't looking forward to visiting the Fifth Division.

The same couldn't be said for her female classmate. The girl, who happened to be walking next to her, broke out in a broad smile. "Finally!" she squealed, a dreamy look in her eyes. "We get to go to the Fifth Division! Oh, it should be illegal to be as hot as Kurosaki-taicho."

Karin was used to hearing other people swoon over her brother, and objectively, she could see what they were talking about. He had the perfect bad-boy look—his hair was a bright orange, he was well-muscled, and he walked around with a tortured look in his eye that made every female in a ten-mile radius want to comfort his anguished soul. Unfortunately, Karin knew that it was all complete and utter bull—Ichigo was, and always would be, a huge softy that used to get good grades and take his girlfriend and sisters to ChappyLand because they asked him to. Nowadays, he didn't even have the decency to be tortured—he was one of the happiest people Karin knew. He _always_ looked like someone had run over his dog. That was just his face.

Still, she answered the girl with a smile. "I would hook you up, but he's married," she responded apologetically. "You never really stood a chance."

"Tell me about it," she moaned. "How do you compete against Kurosaki-fukutaicho? She's just awesome." She paused, readjusting her glasses curiously. "Wait, do you know him?"

"He's kinda my brother." She was surprised Reika hadn't blabbed it to the whole class already. "Kurosaki Karin, nice to meet you."

The girl's mouth dropped open a little. "I had heard that the whole Kurosaki family had come to Soul Society, but…" She shook the disbelief from her head. "Watanabe Akemi. Wow. I wasn't expecting that."

Karin wasn't sure how to answer her, so she chose not to, instead giving her a little smile. As they walked into the Fifth Division offices, she knew she would have bigger problems to deal with.

They filed into the room, joining the rest of the class. Akemi immediately started drooling, and the boys in her class chattered excitedly, happy to be in the presence of such a legend.

Ichigo stood before them, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. He had never been one for public speaking, and it was clear he felt uncomfortable. To his side stood Hinamori Momo.

For her part, Momo looked terrible. Her hair, usually meticulously styled, looked as if she had just thrown it into her signature bun without looking in a mirror. Her usually bright eyes were rimmed in red and had huge bags under them. Usually bubbly, she stood sullenly next to Ichigo, an empty shell of her former self.

Karin's heart clenched in guilt. It wasn't as if she had _stolen_ Hitsugaya—he had broken up with Hinamori of his own free will, and Karin had respected boundaries for _years_. But she couldn't help feeling sorry for the girl, and feeling like she was responsible. She tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, melding into the crowd in hopes that Hinamori would not see her.

"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo," her brother stated as if everyone wasn't already aware. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly."I'm kinda new at this captain stuff, so you'll have to bear with me. This is my fukutaicho, Hinamori Momo."

Hinamori smiled, but it looked pained and did not reach her eyes. "Welcome to the Fifth Division," she said. She clearly didn't want anyone to know something was bothering her, so she attempted to act normally. However, she had overcompensated; her voice was a little louder than usual. "We are clearly in the middle of a major division overhaul, but some things remain the same. We like well-rounded, enthusiastic people. If you want to learn, we are more than willing to help you grow."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. Karin would really have to have a talk with him about his fidgeting. "I guess that's about it. Does anyone have any questions?"

It was immediately clear that the strawberry should have specified the content matter of the questions, because he was soon bombarded with questions about himself.

"Is your hair really that color?"

"How did you get Kurosaki-fukutaicho to marry you?"

"Is it weird leading Aizen's division?"

"How _did_ you kill Aizen?"

Karin noticed Hinamori flinch at the last two questions, her already pallid complexion graying further. It was at that moment that they locked eyes.

At first, Hinamori didn't seem to see her—she was out of it today, and was looking through people, not at them. But Karin saw the moment her eyes flashed with recognition, saw her previously blank face morph into one of pure hatred.

Karin's heart jumped, not used to having such strong emotion directed at her.

"Did they give you Aizen's division _because _you killed him?"

Ichigo held up his hands in surrender, a bewildered look on his face. "Whoa, hold on a minute—" He turned to his lieutenant for support, only to find her ashen and trembling. His eyebrows furrowed. "Hinamori, are you okay?"

"Yes, taicho," she answered quietly, her gaze now on the floor. She looked anything but.

"I don't believe that," Ichigo retorted. "You look like you're about to be sick. Go on home. I can take it from here."

The bunned-girl didn't even put up a fight, a testament to how unlike herself she was at the moment. Instead, she nodded once then headed out of the office, not once looking back.

Karin stood there, stunned. She looked at her feet, ignoring the tingle her brother's curious gaze was giving her skin.

She didn't relax, even when she was free from her brother's scrutiny.

* * *

"Squirt," the redhead said in surprise, eyebrows moving towards his hairline. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm in the advanced class now," Karin replied, forcing herself to smile. She was still a little shaken up over what had just happened with Hinamori, and wasn't quite her witty, awesome self.

Renji seemed to notice this right away, his surprise quickly morphing into worry. "Congrats." He paused. "Are you okay?"

Karin hesitated. Though Renji was a person she could easily confide in, he was also one of Hinamori's friends. Not only that, but the few seconds before the Sixth started its presentation was not a good time to bring up such a personal subject, especially when the rest of her classmates were eyeing them curiously.

"Where have you been?" she asked instead. "I haven't seen you since I was inducted into the Academy."

Renji noticed her subject change, but decided to let it go. "I was stationed in the human world for a while. Just got back a few days ago for these field trips. What have I missed?"

Karin wanted to laugh at the question. _What had he missed? _In the time he was gone, Karin moved up a class, Rukia discovered she was pregnant and contemplated whether she wanted to keep it, Matsumoto revealed her devastating heartbreak, Karin and Toshiro confessed to each other and were now in a secret relationship, and Hinamori Momo was currently plotting ways to murder Karin in her sleep. What _hadn't_ he missed!

"A lot," she said instead, before carefully adding, "You should probably talk to Rukia." Karin knew that he still had feelings for her sister-in-law, and thought it would be best if he heard the news from her mouth first.

His tattooed eyebrows furrowed. "Rukia?"

Luckily, Karin didn't have to elaborate, as Kuchiki Byakuya decided to use that moment to call Renji over. Obediently, Renji returned to his captain's side, a worried look on his face.

Karin rejoined her group, standing next to Akemi. From the look on the bespectacled girl's face, Karin would have thought she had just run around the room naked. "He's my brother's friend," the Kurosaki replied to her unspoken question, smiling sheepishly. "I kind of grew up with him around."

Akemi just shook her head, turning to face the presenters.

For his part, Byakuya did not seem all that surprised to find one of Ichigo's sisters in the advanced class. His gaze met hers for a second, and when she bowed slightly, he nodded in acknowledgement before looking away.

Karin didn't even need to turn to know Akemi was staring at her again. "He's my brother's brother-in-law," she explained. "I guess that makes him mine too...I'm not quite sure how that works."

Once again, the brown-haired girl didn't respond. Incredulity was rolling off her in waves.

* * *

After the Sixth, the field trip went more smoothly. Karin paid attention to each speech, getting the feel of each division and taking mental notes. The Seventh was nice, but didn't really have anything the other divisions didn't—well, besides a giant walking and talking wolf for a captain, but Karin had seen stranger things in her short life. The Eighth was more interesting. The captain, a cheerful, laid back ladies' man in a pink kimono, was completely offset by the rather frank and strict lieutenant. Karin couldn't help but laugh at their dynamic; she knew that she would fit right in with them. The Ninth was into journalism, something that Karin herself had never been interested in. But it also had eye-candy—Karin hadn't been completely joking with Yuzu. Hisagi-taicho was a looker.

As of now, she could see herself in many divisions. The Second, if Soi Fon-taicho didn't already hate her. Possibly the Sixth, as well as the Eighth and Ninth. She would even consider the Tenth, if only because she was already comfortable there. And while she knew she could secure spots in the Third and Fifth Divisions, Karin knew that she would never take them, if only because her father would drive her insane and being in the same division as Hinamori was an all-around _bad idea_.

_The Tenth…_ just the thought of it made her flush. How was she supposed to act, exactly? Like she hadn't been sucking face with him the night before, obviously. But how else? Was she supposed to say hi? Or maybe she should respect his title as captain and stay with her class, not saying anything at all.

This thought plagued her all the way to the Tenth Division, her stomach twisting with anticipation. By the time she had taken those familiar steps into the office building, she had decided to act normally, acknowledging both Hitsugaya and Matsumoto, but keeping a respectable distance. They both had jobs to do.

The plan was completely destroyed, however, when Matsumoto marched right over and pulled Karin into a fierce hug, forcing her face to be pressed into her ample bosom. "Karin-chan!" she squealed happily, not noticing as the rest of the class looked on, morbidly fascinated.

Karin patted her friend's back awkwardly. She had learned from experience that the more you struggled, the harder Matsumoto held on, and it was much easier to allow the blonde to get it out of her system.

As expected, Matsumoto gave her one last squeeze before releasing her, a smile on her face.

Karin raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so hyper today?"

"I was really hungover so I drank four cups of coffee. But that's not important." She waved her hand dismissively, peering at her coyly. "Taicho has been in a good mood all morning."

"Has he?" Karin replied, stone-faced.

Matsumoto smirked. "I came in hungover and two hours late, and all he did was tell me to drink some coffee."

"Huh," Karin responded noncommittally. Matsumoto was not going to get her. She always used to win at poker. _She would not crack_—

"And he was humming."

Karin started. She hadn't been expecting _that._ "Wait, what?"

"Yeah," Matsumoto said airily. "Something sure made him happy." She narrowed her eyes, smirking. "Did you tell him?"

Karin's heart leapt. _Pokerface pokerface pokerface. _"I—"

"Matsumoto," a cool voice called from across the room. Karin inwardly relaxed.

He looked annoyed, motioning for his fukutaicho to join him at the front of the room. His eyes met Karin's, and his expression softened a hair before he turned away.

"Fine," Matsumoto huffed, making her way over to him. To Karin, she mouthed, _This isn't over._

Karin sighed in relief. That had been a close one.

"_Really?_" A voice next to her asked loudly.

Karin turned, once again faced with Akemi. She chuckled awkwardly. "They're kind of both my friends."

Akemi looked at her in disbelief. "You've got to be fucking kidding me! Is there anyone in Soul Society that you _don't _know?"

The dark-haired girl thought about it. "I didn't know _you_ before today," she pointed out.

Akemi shook her head, but Karin could tell from the smile creeping onto her face that she was amused.

"And that's exactly why she can get in wherever she wants," Reika snapped, pushing past the girls to get closer to the presenters. Her hazel eyes flashed, looking more green than brown. "And that's how she got in this class! All she has to do is throw her pretty name around and she gets what she wants!"

Karin's temper flared, her hate for the nasty blonde a slow burn on her insides. But she clenched her teeth and said nothing.

"It's not Kurosaki's fault her family is famous, Reika," Akemi spoke up, a little uncomfortable with the tension in the air.

Reika merely walked away, not bothering to answer.

Karin took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through her nostrils. Then, she turned to Akemi. "Don't worry about it. She's not worth it." Then, with a smile, she added, "And Karin's fine."

"Karin," the girl repeated, readjusting her glasses. "Please, call me Akemi."

The two smiled at each other. Suddenly, Karin felt an odd feeling on her arm. It sort of itched, sort of tingled, and came out of nowhere. Not thinking much of it, she scratched it, moving to join the rest of her class.

"Welcome to the Tenth Division," Hitsugaya started. "My name is Hitsugaya Toshiro, and I am the captain."

Karin noticed the look on Reika's face—there were practically hearts in her eyes, and the poor girl was having a hard time not shrieking like the fangirl she was. But, to be fair, Karin could sympathize. When had Hitsugaya's voice become so smooth and sexy?

Distractedly, she scratched the sudden itch on back of her neck. _That sexy voice belongs to me_, she thought smugly.

Matsumoto sent her captain a strange look before piping up, "I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, the fukutaicho." She didn't notice how all the boys in Karin's class were drooling over her. She was used to those types of reactions.

"In this division, we pride ourselves in our worth ethic—"

"And having fun," Matsumoto interrupted with a wink. "That's important too."

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. "You can all have fun when your work is finished. Everyone in this division works hard." Which was technically true; even Matsumoto buckled down when absolutely necessary. "Anyone who wants to join must be willing to put in the effort. Are there any initial questions?"

Reika's hand shot in the air. Hitsugaya nodded at her. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He was visibly startled, eyes wide. "What?"

Karin looked on, her heart pounding in her ears. How was he going to get out of that one?

"I heard a rumor that you had broken up with Hinamori-fukutaicho, and when we saw her today, she didn't look too good." Reika batted her eyelashes. "So I wanted to know whether you're actually single or not."

Matsumoto's smile had morphed into a cheshire grin. She waited for her taicho's reply with rapt attention.

For a brief, frightening second, Hitsugaya looked right at Karin, as if he were at a loss for words. But then, collecting himself, he schooled his expression into one of indifference. "My personal life has nothing to do with this presentation," he said frostily, the irritation clear in his voice. "That question is inappropriate."

Reika blushed, embarrassed about being publicly scolded by someone she deeply admired. Kimura-sensei shook her head at her disapprovingly.

Toshiro cleared his throat. "I think it's time for the tour. Matsumoto?"

The busty blonde pouted, a little annoyed that he had avoided the question. "Follow me!" she said loudly, moving to lead the class out of the room.

Karin scratched her arm again, frowning. Did she get bitten by a mosquito or something? Were there even mosquitos in Soul Society?

It wasn't until she noticed the slight smirk on Hitsugaya's face that she realized it. It was his reiatsu! Little bits of it, pinpointing specific parts of her skin in amounts so small that it was only picked up by Matsumoto, who was very finely attuned to her captain and his reiatsu. Even now, she was looking over her shoulder, giving Hitsugaya a strange look.

Karin faced him completely, and his smirk grew. He was teasing her!

She made a big show of waiting for him to make his way over to her, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping a foot impatiently. When he was finally in front of her, she looked up at him expectantly.

The rest of the group was making its way out the door, chatting excitedly. No one was paying attention to them. For all intents and purposes, they were alone.

"Hey," he said softly, turquoise eyes softening.

"Hey yourself," she replied breathlessly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other awkwardly. Her heart was pounding again. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to act with him anymore.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" He was a little closer to her than was necessary, and Karin glanced back at the other people in the room. They were still in the clear. "If you want, we could practice your kido."

Karin grinned. "Do you mean practice my kido, or _practice my kido_?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

Hitsugaya scoffed. "Honestly," he muttered, a flush beginning to make its way up the back of his neck. "Can't take anything seriously."

Her grin only widened as he grew more embarrassed. For a split second, she considered informing him about what had occurred with Hinamori earlier that day, but she quickly decided not to. Now was not the time or the place.

Her cheek began to tingle, and she scowled at him. Having had enough of his teasing, she reared her hand back before forcefully bringing it forward to its target.

SMACK.

The sound was loud enough for the few people still in the room to turn around and look at them. Matsumoto stuck her head back in the room, eyeing them suspiciously.

Karin could tell that if she ever played him in poker, Hitsugaya Toshiro would be a worthy opponent. To his credit, he did not flinch, and looked almost bored as the crowd of people looked at them curiously.

For her part, Karin was going to pee her pants. She couldn't breathe, as she was afraid she would burst out laughing if she opened her mouth. Her eyes were starting to well up, her body trying to tremble.

She had figured she would see how much _he _liked being touched in public, and in retaliation for teasing her, she had slapped Toshiro's ass. Hard. Now she was fighting to keep her composure.

Karin looked behind her before returning her gaze back to Matsumoto, shrugging as if to say, "I have no idea where that sound came from!"

Matsumoto raised an eyebrow quizzically.

She was seriously going to pee her pants. "Bathroom," she squeaked, pushing her way through the crowd and practically sprinting to the nearest restroom.

Once alone, she let loose. She hadn't laughed that hard in a really long time.

* * *

"Make sure you stay invisible when you visit the Eleventh and Twelfth," Toshiro had told her sternly before she left. They had found a quiet corner where they could speak freely. "Don't bring any attention to yourself."

"Why?" she had asked curiously.

He grimaced. "Just trust me." Then, making sure no one was around, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I'll see you later."

Just the thought of it made her warm inside.

When she sat through the Eleventh's spiel, she didn't see why he had warned her. Both the captain and lieutenant of the division were missing, their roles being filled by a bald man and his very girly-looking friend. Apparently, the heads of the division hated class field trips and so never bothered to show up, instead leaving the task to their subordinates. Karin didn't mind. She recognized both of the men as her brother's friends, and she found them highly entertaining. Despite their reputation for being barbarians, Karin didn't think being a part of the Eleventh would be so bad. She added it to her mental list.

It was when she reached the Twelfth Division that Karin took Hitsugaya's warning to heart. To put it lightly, both the captain and lieutenant were scary as fuck. The captain looked liked something out of a bad movie, and his daughter didn't show a single emotion throughout the whole presentation, making Karin wonder if she was a robot.

It was a relief when she finally made it to the Thirteenth Division. Rukia stood in front of the class by herself, explaining that though their captain was sickly, the Thirteenth was a great place to work. When third-seats Kiyone and Kentaro came to lead the group's final tour of the day, Karin decided not to go, instead staying behind to talk to her friend.

Rukia sat down behind her desk tiredly.

"Long day?" Karin asked sympathetically.

Rukia sighed in response, absently patting her stomach. Karin wondered if she even knew she was doing it. "There are three Advanced Swordsmanship classes," she replied. "Three classes, three presentations—one every day. Many of us have come to hate this week, because it takes up so much time, but it has to be done." She looked at Karin. "So, you told him? And he replied favorably?"

"Yeah," Karin replied, embarrassed. She ran her fingers through her ponytail, fidgeting. "I'll tell you the whole story later. Did _you_tell _him_?"

Rukia grimaced. "Not yet."

Karin gave her a look. "Rukia—"

"I know," the petite woman interrupted. "Believe me, I know."

"You're just making it harder on yourself," Karin pointed out.

Rukia looked away. Her face hardened, lost in thought. "Kuchikis never go back on a promise," she replied absently. "Don't worry."

The sound of the door sliding open made them both look up. Ukitake Jushiro walked into the room, a soft smile on his face.

"Ukitake-taicho!" Rukia exclaimed, jumping to her feet and racing to meet him. "What are you doing out of bed? You should rest!"

"Calm down, Rukia-chan," the kind man responded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I merely wanted to check on how things are going."

"Wonderful," Rukia responded. "Sentaro and Kiyone are leading the last group on a tour as we speak."

"Excellent," he coughed into his handkerchief.

Rukia's face furrowed with worry. "Ukitake-taicho, I really think—"

Ukitake held up a hand, silencing her. He turned his attention to the other person in the room. "And who might you be?"

"Kurosaki Karin, sir," Karin answered warily. She too wondered whether the seemingly frail man should go back to bed.

Ukitake's face lit up with recognition. "Kurosaki Karin," he murmured to himself. "Tell me, Kurosaki-san, do you have any plans for tonight?"

Wow, she sure was popular with the captains today. Was Mercury in retrograde or something? "I'm training with Hitsugaya-taicho tonight, sir," she replied, ignoring Rukia's raised eyebrow.

"Are you, now?" Ukitake said thoughtfully. "Do you think your training can be postponed?"

Karin blinked a couple times, confused. "I guess. I'd just have to let Toshiro know—"

"Bring him with." The older man looked very serious all of a sudden. "I have something important that I need to discuss with both of you."

* * *

**A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, but not really because it was important.**

**Now on to my ramblings: 1.) I would like to dedicate this chapter to French waiter-san. For the many years I have been following Bleach, I have never known your name, and now you have been harshly taken from us. Rest in peace, Frenchy. 2.) I really hate OCs. I hate having to create them, and hate having to include them in my fics, especially when they're not all that important. However, sometimes they're necessary. 3.) While writing this, I realized that Karin would know just about everyone important in Soul Society. I swear, being a Kurosaki has its perks! 4.) Listening to Florence and the Machine put me in a very IchiRuki/HitsuKarin mood. Love that woman. 5.) Okay, the last chapter of Bleach sucked. Kubo is now going for cheap laughs. I hope the series ends soon so it can keep its dignity.**

**Let me know. :)**


	39. Chapter 39

**Why hello, lovelies! I have so many rambling things to say that I'm going to put it all at the end for anyone who cares. So for now, I'll just say thank you to everyone who reviewed!**

**I don't own Bleach. I think we can all agree that if I did, it would be dramatic as hell.**

* * *

Eyes closed, she twirled.

She relished the feel of her hair whipping around her face, loved the way her heartbeat drummed in her ears.

The Thirteenth Division dojo was empty, and she was glad. It was much easier to focus on her thoughts, to center herself, when there was no one else around. Still, it was strange to see the dojo so abandoned, as it was prime training time. She suspected her third-seats had something to do with her sudden moment of privacy.

Abruptly, she stopped her pirouettes, her foot coming down to the ground in a distinct point. Her arms swayed, moving to music only she could hear, and she alternately lifted her heels up from the floor and back down again, her body rolling like waves. She jumped, arms raised and a leg kicking behind her, before landing in another pirouette.

She continued this for a while, unconsciously making her way around the room. Already, she could feel the calm entering her system, the weight of the world lifting from her shoulders. When she danced, nothing else mattered. As her body moved fluidly through the motions, she became more attuned to herself. And, if she danced just right, she felt more attuned to the entire universe.

Slowly, she raised a leg behind her, toes pointed, until it was straight up in the air and her face was parallel to the floor. Carefully, a hand reached for the zanpakuto at her side and unsheathed it. With a flourish, she spun out of her previous position, both feet returning to the ground without a sound.

"_Dance_," she whispered, her wrist slowly rotating, causing her blade to follow the arc it knew so well. "Sode no Shirayuki."

Her hair swayed gently in the wind created by her sword's release, her zanpakuto's pure-white ribbon following suit. Ice crystals shimmered in the air in front of her, and when she twirled, ribbon gliding around her gracefully, the crystals joined in her dance. Contentedly, her violet eyes fluttered open.

It was then that she saw him, leaning against the doorframe, his amber eyes filled with love and admiration.

Immediately, she stopped her spinning, her arms dropping limply to her sides. Her breath came out in quick puffs, and she wasn't sure if it was because of her efforts or because of _him_.

"Ichigo."

* * *

"He didn't say what it was about?"

Karin shook her head, leaning against his desk and observing him. Hitsugaya looked a little worse for wear, the week of field trips apparently starting to catch up with him. He definitely looked relieved it was all over, and could probably do with some meditation, but there was no longer any time. Ukitake was expecting them.

"He's probably found a lead," Toshiro murmured to himself, ruffling a hand through his snowy hair.

Karin raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

Hitsugaya's lips quirked. "About _you_. Remember when you came to Soul Society and somehow managed to do everything that you shouldn't have been able to?"

"Of course I do," she retorted, watching as he stood from his seat. "But I kinda chalked that up to me being awesome. I thought everyone knew that."

Hitsugaya shook his head, his features softening in amusement. Gently, he reached for her elbow, leading her out of the office. "Yes, well I wanted to make sure it wasn't something else, so I asked for his help. Remember?"

"Vaguely," she said drily, not protesting as he steered her towards the Thirteenth Division.

They walked at a comfortable pace, a little too close together to look casual. When Karin felt the tip of his pinkie hook hers, she fought down a blush, but didn't comment on it.

Toshiro coughed, pointedly looking away from her. "This shouldn't take long. We could still train after. If you want."

Karin almost laughed. She had never pegged him to be the shy type, but it was apparently possible if he got flustered enough. Their whole situation was weird and awkward, but endearingly so. And it just so happened that the dark-haired twin thought a flustered Hitsugaya was adorable.

She might have even teased him about it, if they weren't in public. They were walking close enough that any passersby wouldn't be able to make out their intertwined fingers, but bringing attention to themselves was probably not a good idea. "I can't," she replied instead, meeting his questioning eyes. "There's a family dinner tonight that I have to go to."

He must have been disappointed, because Karin saw the subtle change in his expression. She lightly bumped him with her shoulder. "Don't be like that," she chastised gently. "You can come if you want. You know Yuzu would be ecstatic to make room for you at the table."

Hitsugaya frowned slightly. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

Karin snorted, rolling her eyes. "You're kidding, right? My whole family loves you."

He didn't answer, looking away thoughtfully, and it was Karin's turn to frown. Why was he being so weird? It wasn't like he hadn't eaten with her family before—why was he so hesitant now?

All of a sudden, it hit her. All of those times he had eaten with her family, they hadn't been in this...thing that they were currently in. He probably felt as if this was the pivotal "meet the family" dinner that occurred in all serious relationships! Never mind the fact that he had already met and was familiar with her family—it was a big step, and he probably felt uncomfortable about it, especially since they had only gotten together the day before.

Karin willed down the urge to smack her forehead. She turned to him apologetically. "Toshiro—"

"Ohoho_ho_!" A familiar voice interrupted, nearly making Karin jump out of her skin. Hitsugaya merely sighed, discreetly moving his hand away from hers as they turned to face their visitor.

Matsumoto Rangiku had her hands on her hips and a smug look on her face. Her lips slowly morphed into a cheshire grin. "Where are you guys headed?" she sang. "Going on a date?"

Karin rolled her eyes. Hitsugaya merely sighed. "No."

"For your information," Karin elaborated, "we're headed to the Thirteenth. Where are _you _going, Rangiku?"

Matsumoto looked visibly startled, confirming Karin's suspicions that she had been following then from the Tenth. She giggled. "I...I was headed that way too."

Hitsugaya crossed his arms over his chest. "Really." He raised an eyebrow. "What do you need from the Thirteenth?"

Matsumoto swallowed. "Nothing. I was just going to see if Rukia wanted to go drinking with me tonight."

"She's pregnant," Karin reminded her, her lips twitching in amusement.

"I know that!" the blonde protested. "I was just...wondering if she wanted to come out with me!"

For a few awkward moments, it was silent, Hitsugaya and Karin waiting to see if the blonde would crack and Matsumoto waiting to see if they would call her out on her lie. Then Karin allowed the smirk she had been suppressing to come forth. "It doesn't matter anyway," she said breezily, "because we're having a family dinner tonight. So she can't come."

"Oh. Well then. That's settled." Matsumoto winked, turning around and walking back in the direction she came.

"That was strange," Karin commented.

"Not really," Hitsugaya replied with another sigh. "When it comes to Matsumoto, that's completely normal behavior. She likes to stick her nose where it doesn't belong."

_"Have fun on your date~!" _

Hitsugaya shook his head dismissively at the sudden shout. "See?"

Karin just laughed. "That's one of the things that makes her so fun to be around," she replied fondly, continuing her stride towards the Thirteenth Division. "But we better be careful. She's going to out us one day."

Toshiro matched his pace with hers, his expression so grumpy that Karin couldn't help but find it adorable. "Nosy woman," he muttered.

"Observant," she countered, nudging him with her shoulder again.

When they finally reached the Thirteenth, Karin was laughing at the hilarity of it all, and Toshiro was only slightly irritated, finding it hard to keep on his grumpy pants when Karin was in such good spirits. He opened the door for her and then lead her past the office she had seen on the tour to a private room further down the hall. He knocked.

A muffled cough could be heard through the door, and for a second Hitsugaya looked concerned. When clear, pleasant voice told them to come in, however, his worried expression turned into one that Karin had come to know meant serious business.

The room seemed to be some sort of sitting room. Ukitake-taicho was next to a low table, comfortably seated on a floor cushion. Karin noticed that he held a handkerchief in his hand, but he quickly crumpled it into his hand and waved them both over.

"Come in! Please," Ukitake said kindly, gesturing towards two cushions opposite his. He coughed violently into his handkerchief, the sound coming from deep within his chest. When he settled down, the light-colored material was speckled with red.

Karin looked at Hitsugaya in alarm. While she knew that Rukia's taicho was sickly, she hadn't realized how much. Ukitake-taicho clearly needed to be in bed, not wasting his strength talking to them. But when the captain of the Tenth shook his head slightly, she decided not to bring up the elephant in the room, turning a blind eye when Ukitake once again hid his handkerchief from view. She sat down on her cushion and pretended she hadn't seen the older man hack up a lung.

"May I interest either of you in some tea?" Ukitake asked once they were settled.

"No thank you," Toshiro answered for them. "We can't stay long."

Karin was slightly miffed, as a cup of tea sounded lovely, but she didn't argue. She didn't want to inconvenience the frail man. Besides, she really couldn't stay long.

Ukitake's face lit up, his long hair swaying as he quickly reached for a bowl sitting on the table. He set it in front of them expectantly. "How about a sweet?"

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched. "No—"

"These are really good," Karin mumbled around the candies she had apparently stuffed in her mouth. She tilted the bowl towards Hitsugaya. "Sure you don't want any?" He merely sighed, and she shrugged in return. "Suit yourself."

Ukitake-taicho looked delighted. "I'm glad _someone_ appreciates them!" he exclaimed, winking at his fellow captain good-naturedly.

Hitsugaya had enough good sense to feel ashamed. It wasn't like Ukitake was making fun of him, was calling him a child. The older man felt a sort of kinship with him because they were both named _Shiro _and had white hair. Ukitake might have even enjoyed his company, although Hitsugaya couldn't fathom why. And, because he knew how much Toshiro loved sweets, Ukitake always had a pocketful of candies that he was happy to give and the captain of the Tenth had too much pride to receive.

Karin murmured appreciatively as she unwrapped another candy and popped it into her mouth. "Here," she commanded, forcing a couple pieces of the candy into Hitsugaya's hand. "You like this kind."

Ukitake chuckled as the younger man took the candies without complaint. "Well then, since you're in a hurry, why don't we get started?"

* * *

"I'm sorry." The carrot-top rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Rukia attempted to control her heavy breathing. "You didn't scare me," she lied, cursing herself. She couldn't believe she hadn't sensed him! Ichigo had all the stealth of a thundering rhinoceros. But she tended to lose herself when she danced, and she had been preoccupied with her thoughts. "I just didn't expect you to stare."

Ichigo smiled, abandoning his spot on the doorframe in favor of standing next to her. "Sorry," he apologized again. "But I don't think I'll ever get used to you train. You look so beautiful."

Rukia averted her eyes to the ground, uncomfortable. Normally, she would tease him, tell him that she _always _looked beautiful and that he was getting soft, but today his praise only made her feel more guilty. She released her shikai, sheathing her sword.

Ichigo noticed her change in demeanor and frowned. Of course he would notice. They were so attuned to each other that reading her was second nature to him. "What's the matter?"

She understood what he was actually saying—he didn't just want to know what was bothering her right now; he wanted to know what had _been _bothering her. Reluctantly, she looked up and met his amber gaze. He was upset because she was upset.

She hated it when he was upset.

"Ichigo." Her voice was soft, but it was still clear when it cracked. "I don't think I can do this."

* * *

Although the other two had declined, Ukitake accepted the cup of tea from his third seats, smiling kindly at them until they left the room, squabbling. He took a deep sip and sighed contentedly. "Now then," he started, setting his cup down on the tabletop, "I have done some research on cases similar to yours and have come up with a possible solution. What do you two know about soulmates?"

Complete silence and bewildered looks followed. They blinked. Ukitake took another sip of his tea.

"I'm sorry," Karin said pleasantly. "I think I misheard you. I thought you said something about—"

"Soulmates?" His dark irises sparkled in mirth. "You heard me correctly, Kurosaki-san."

Karin opened her mouth and closed it. She glanced at Hitsugaya, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then back at Ukitake again. "You mean red string of fate and all that jazz?"

"Yes and no," the older man answered, amused. "Let me explain. The cycle of souls is never ending. A soul is born into a body in the World of the Living. When the body dies, the soul is then brought to Soul Society. When its spiritual body dies in Soul Society, the soul then waits in the Soul Plane for its turn to return to the World of the Living."

"Reincarnation," Toshiro clarified for Karin.

Ukitake nodded in confirmation. "Now, there are a few things that can break this cycle. One is if the soul is especially corrupt. In this case, the soul will be dragged down to hell, where it will stay for all eternity." He coughed a little more into his handkerchief, then took a sip of tea to clear his throat. "Another is if a Hollow is killed by the arrow of a Quincy instead of purified by a zanpakuto. The soul is forever gone, and unable to reenter the cycle. The last is if a soul—"

"Is eaten by a Hollow," Karin finished, her face emotionless. She knew this firsthand—it was the reason her mother would never be found, the reason she no longer existed. The dark-haired twin felt Hitsugaya's gaze burning on her, but she refused to turn and meet it.

Ukitake looked at her in surprise. "That's correct."

"What does all of this have to do with us?" Hitsugaya asked irritably.

"Patience, Hitsugaya-taicho." He didn't look offended, only understanding. "Now, there are many misconceptions about soulmates. One is the idea that everyone has one. Soulmates are created when two souls connect on such a spiritual level that they merge and essentially become one soul shared by two people. This is actually very rare; while there are many souls that are compatible, there are few that want to be continuously connected to another for eternity. I am fairly certain that my fukutaicho and your brother, Kurosaki-san, are soulmates."

This did not surprise Karin in the slightest. She saw the way they looked at each other, the way they seemed to speak without words. She had seen the change in her brother the moment Rukia had entered his life, had seen the shadows chased away from behind his eyes and the smile returned to his lips.

Ukitake's eyes shifted to Hitsugaya. "And I can't be sure, but I believe that your fukutaicho has lost hers."

"Rangiku?" Karin remembered Matsumoto's devastated expression as she told the story of her lost lover. "But it's okay, right? They'll be together again?"

"That is another misconception," Ukitake answered kindly. "The souls, while drawn to each other, will not always be able to find each other. While one soul is in the World of the Living, or Soul Society, or even waiting its turn in the Soul Plane, the other could be in any of those places as well. Or it could be snuffed out of the cycle completely. Because of this, it is rare for the two souls to reunite once separated. Impossible, no. But it may be many cycles before they are even put into the same world, and even still, the souls could live their lives in the same world without ever meeting."

"You believe that _we _are soulmates?" Hitsugaya asked calmly. A little too calmly in Karin's opinion.

Ukitake nodded. "I can't be certain. Technically, the idea of soulmates is a theory anyway, as it can't be proven and there are so few cases. However, when studying previous cases and comparing it with yours, this is my best guess."

"Wait." Karin held up a hand, thoroughly confused. "You're saying that half of my soul belongs to him?"

Ukitake smiled. "In theory, yes. And half of his to you."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "But I'm a twin. Doesn't half of my soul already belong to my sister?" She paused contemplatively. "Does Yuzu share the half of my soul that Toshiro owns, like a partnership? Or does she own half of my half? That would be kind of messed up if I got half of hers and she only got a fourth of mine."

Ukitake looked bemused, but Hitsugaya merely shook his head. "Karin."

"Maybe she gets to keep all of my half," Karin mused, biting her lip thoughtfully. "Does that mean that I own no part of myself?"

"_Karin_," Hitsugaya repeated loudly, breaking her out of her reverie. She blinked at him. "You're a fraternal twin," he reminded her. "Maybe the twin bond works differently."

"Maybe," she repeated, still a little fuzzy on how it all worked.

Toshiro turned back to Ukitake. "So you think this is the answer? Why she regained her memories, and why we're able to enter each other's inner worlds?"

Ukitake's grip on his teacup tightened as he contemplated this. "Yes," he answered slowly. "And no. From what I could gather from the other cases, there was no recovery of memories from a past life, no sharing of inner worlds. And yet, you were able to. This, along with the fact that you, Hitsugaya-taicho, were able to quickly locate her in Rukongai when it should have been impossible, have led me to one conclusion."

"What?" Karin breathed, unconsciously leaning over the table, hanging on to his every word.

"Your souls." He looked them both in the eye. "They're special. And the only way for you to find out more is to ask your zanpakuto directly."

* * *

His eyes still held confusion, but there was a gentleness there that made a lump form in her throat. "Do what, Rukia? What can't you do?"

Kurosaki Rukia hated herself right then. She had a wonderful, loving husband who wanted nothing more than to make her happy, and she was about to shatter his heart into a million pieces. Her eyes began to well up and her hate intensified. She was not a crier by nature, but her hormones were making it impossible for her to stop.

She opened her mouth and closed it again, trying to work up the courage to stomp on Ichigo's feelings. Finally, forcing herself to look him in the eye, she was able to get out two quiet words.

"The baby."

Rukia saw it all happen in slow motion. First his smile dropped, lips pursing together into nothingness. Hurt flashed through his eyes, the happy crinkle that often lived in the corners smoothing out. His body language changed from open and inviting to slightly closed off, almost curling into itself for protection. She felt the need to explain herself, to at least tell him why.

"I've never had a mother, Ichigo." Liquid hate was streaming down her face now; she wiped at it angrily. "I only had my sister, and she abandoned me. I was never mothered, and so I don't know _how _to mother. And I didn't even know I _could _get pregnant, so I never planned to be one. I am not mentally prepared for this! _I am not prepared!_"

She was breathing hard and on the verge of being hysterical, but Ichigo merely cupped her face, wiping her tears away with a thumb. His face was soft again, visibly relieved, and he seemed unbothered by her screaming. "Is that what's been bothering you?"

Rukia turned her face away, momentarily infuriated. She had just opened up to him, told him all of her fears, and he had practically demeaned them with a "That's all?" A sob threatened to escape her lips.

"Rukia." He grabbed hold of her face again, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Rukia. Do you love me?"

Was he serious? Did he really think she would be so distraught if she didn't? That she would have agreed to marry him in the first place? "Of course I do, you fool," she snarled.

"And I love you, more than life. Death even." He chuckled at his own joke, but his wife was not amused. Still, Ichigo was not deterred. "Do you know how you can tell?"

Slowly, he removed his hands from her face, clutching one of her hands in his and guiding it to her belly. He splayed their fingers across her tiny midsection. "There," he whispered. "That is physical proof that we love each other. Proof that despite everything we've been through, out of all the people we could have picked, we still chose each other. And proof that we never want to be apart." He smiled, interlacing their fingers. Her ring glittered in the light. "I love you, Rukia. And _I know you._ I've seen how you've been with my sisters since they were eleven. You're going to be a great mother."

"You're just saying that," she whispered accusingly. But her sobs had stopped, and her tears were drying.

"I'm not." Their joined fingers left her tummy, and he kissed her knuckles. "And you don't have to go through this alone. You know I'm going to be there to help you."

And just like that, Rukia felt a million times better. She was still scared of the unknown and she was still nervous, but she was no longer freaking out. Ichigo was right. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten that she would not be doing it alone—he always had her back, just like she always had his. And as much as she was still wary about the idea of motherhood, she was stunned that she had even considered getting rid of their child. It was a piece of her and a piece of him, and because of that, it was perfect in her eyes.

Ichigo always knew the right thing to say to her.

Violet eyes met amber. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice still thick with the tears she had shed. She cleared her throat. "I know that you'll be there for me. I just forgot myself for a moment."

"It happens." Ichigo smirked. "Kami knows how many times I forgot myself."

"True." Rukia sniffed haughtily. "And I helped you remember each time, so it's only fair that you return the favor."

The carrot-top laughed, happy his wife was returning to her normal self. "It's only fair," he agreed.

She paused, worrying her lip with her teeth. "Do you really think I'll be a good mother?"

"I know you will." Ichigo bent over to kiss her forehead. "Sometimes, you remind me of mine."

Rukia scoffed. "Okay, now I know you're messing with me. I've been told that Yuzu is like your mother, and I'm nothing like Yuzu."

"It's your eyes," he retorted indignantly. "Sometimes there's this look in them—"

"Is that why you married me?" That haughty, teasing look was back. He was starting to understand the saying _be careful what you wish for_. "Because you think I'm like your mother?You must have an Octopus complex."

Ichigo gaped at her. "First of all, it's _Oedipus_, not octopus. And I do _not_ have it. Where the hell do you learn this stuff?"

"That would be my fault," a voice said sheepishly. The two turned, surprised to see Karin waiting by the door.

"Where's Hitsugaya-taicho?" Rukia asked curiously.

Both husband and wife noticed when a deep flush took over Karin's features. She looked flustered by the question, and somehow at the same time distracted. "He went to meditate," she answered, her voice sounding strange.

_Tell me about it later? _Rukia mouthed.

Karin nodded subtly, then clapped her hands loudly. "Well then! Who's ready for dinner? I'm starved."

* * *

It was a pretty normal dinner, for the Kurosaki family anyway. Isshin was making a fool of himself as usual, seeing how far he could shoot milk from his nose despite Yuzu's worry that it would stain the carpet. Ichigo and Rukia were a little more affectionate than they usually were in public, holding hands throughout the whole dinner and sending each other secret smiles. But they bickered throughout the whole dinner, and once Rukia interrupted their handholding to smack Ichigo upside the head, so normalcy was upheld.

Karin still wasn't sure whether Yuzu owned a fourth or half of her, but either way, her twin senses were in prime form tonight. From her seat across the table, Yuzu kept sending her curious glances, and from the vibes she was sending alone, Karin could tell she wanted to talk.

Overall, it was a controlled chaos that Karin was used to.

That was why, when Yuzu began to grasp at her throat with both hands, no one saw it coming.

Sitting across from her sister, it was Karin that noticed it first. Yuzu's eyes were wide with fear, not a sound escaping her lips.

Karin stood up in alarm. "Dad! I think she's choking!"

Isshin immediately turned to the daughter sitting at his left, and Ichigo and Rukia stopped squabbling.

Yuzu looked at all of them, clearly in distress. She was making the universal sign for "choking", but she vehemently shook her head, denying it. Her face was starting to get red.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo yelled, standing up so quickly that his chair crashed to the floor.

"Give her space!" Isshin's voice boomed in the room, halting everyone in their tracks. His face was serious. "Yuzu, are you choking?"

Her eyes were fluttering, but she shook her head.

Karin's heart pounded. She watched as her father picked up a small, sharp knife from the table and suddenly felt as if she were the one choking.

"I think you've had an allergic reaction," Isshin explained clearly. "Your throat must be closing up."

Yuzu didn't seem to be listening anymore. Her face was now blue, and her eyes kept fluttering.

"Yuzu!" Rukia said sharply, trying to keep the girl's attention.

But it was too late. To everyone's horror, her eyes rolled back in her head and she tipped out of her chair.

Ichigo was there in a flash to catch her before she hit the floor.

"Set her down," Isshin ordered, moving his sleeves out of the way. "I'm going to have to trach her."

Karin's hands gripped the table so hard her knuckles turned white. He was going to slit open her throat. She was going to watch Yuzu get cut open.

With the nerves that only come from growing up working in a clinic, Ichigo set Yuzu down, moving her hair out of the way. The knife glinted menacingly as Isshin knelt, preparing to make the incision.

Suddenly, Yuzu inhaled a shuddering breath, sitting upright and coughing.

The knife clattered to the ground.

Ichigo immediately wrapped his arms around her, squeezing too tight to be comfortable. Isshin soon joined them, enveloping both of them in his embrace, and Rukia started to cry again. Karin watched it all from her seat at the table, shaking and too shocked to move.

And from her place on the floor, Yuzu was able to gasp out two words.

"My...body…"

* * *

**A/N: I told you it'd be dramatic as hell. haha**

**Okay, now my rambles.**

**_On this chapter:_**

**~Is anyone surprised that they're soulmates? Anyone? I thought I had made that a little too obvious. But that's okay, because they're soulmates with a twist.**

**~Why yes, I love dancer!Rukia. You can blame a gorgeous fanart that I'll put the link to on my profile.**

**~I also love hormonal!Rukia. Deal with it. XD**

**~I've decided to take out the Rukia-doesn't-know-Hisana-is-her-sister storyline. It wasn't really going to go anywhere.**

**~I had a hard time writing Ichigo this chapter. I felt like I kept making his speech too sappy and flowery. But when I thought about it, the only person he's canonly flowery with anyway is Rukia, so I let him speak his closet-romantic heart out.**

**_On why this update is so late:_**

**~A combination of reasons. As you know, I was studying abroad for the semester in New Zealand. Well, I spent my last months there traveling, having great experiences (like being front and center during a Lady Gaga concert and skydiving), and actually doing schoolwork/preparing for finals. Then there was the whole returning to the States thing and trying to go to bed at a decent hour.**

**~Also, I made the mistake of watching Avatar: The Last Airbender. I had heard a lot of good things about Legend of Korra, and told myself that I wouldn't watch it until I watched its predecessor. Well, let me tell you, I ignited a new obsession. My sister used to watch Avatar, so I had seen random episodes but had never watched it all the way through. Well, for a good week, I lived and _breathed _A:tla. It was actually ridiculous. And now I have a new OTP—Zutara. I have honestly never felt this invested in a paring since Ichiruki all those years ago. The feelings literally overwhelm me sometimes. I have created a monster.**

**_On the Bleach manga:_**

**_What the hell is going on? _I wish it would just end. Shit is just not making sense.**

**_On Fanfiction's ridiculousness:_**

**I'm going to hope that Karin's pottymouth doesn't get this fic deleted. Also, I'm pissed about the whole thing. Sure it's their site, but letting a rule go unpunished for ten years and then suddenly trying to enforce it is ridiculous.**

**That's all, I guess. Let me know! ;)**


	40. Chapter 40

**Woot! It is four in the morning and I have class in six hours so please don't be too upset about this obnoxiously late update. I worked on it just for you guys! :) If you're curious about why this is so late:**

**~School started back up again**

**~The Fire Nation attacked and Zutara is still ruining my life**

**~I decided that writing three chapter fics at the same time was a good idea. Note for future reference: It is not. I don't always have time to write, and even when I do, I'm the kind of person who has to be in the mood to do so. So imagine how long it takes me to write a decent chapter with scant writing time/will to write as well as three different fics to update? A pretty long damn time. But I hope to finish ****_Zutara Week_**** soon (months after the fact) so that I can focus on finishing this fic (which I can't believe has just hit 40 chapters with no immediate end in sight. Good lord!) and working on ****_Destined_****.**

**Okay, enough of that. Let's get this party started!**

**I don't own Bleach. It's also too late/early to think of a sassy thing that would happen if I did. Ugh.**

* * *

**Previously on ****_Rapture:_**

_Yuzu looked at all of them, clearly in distress. She was making the universal sign for "choking", but she vehemently shook her head, denying it. Her face was starting to get red._

_"Yuzu!" Ichigo yelled, standing up so quickly that his chair crashed to the floor._

_"Give her space!" Isshin's voice boomed in the room, halting everyone in their tracks. His face was serious. "Yuzu, are you choking?"_

_Her eyes were fluttering, but she shook her head._

_Karin's heart pounded. She watched as her father picked up a small, sharp knife from the table and suddenly felt as if she were the one choking._

_"I think you've had an allergic reaction," Isshin explained clearly. "Your throat must be closing up."_

_Yuzu didn't seem to be listening anymore. Her face was now blue, and her eyes kept fluttering._

_"Yuzu!" Rukia said sharply, trying to keep the girl's attention._

_But it was too late. To everyone's horror, her eyes rolled back in her head and she tipped out of her chair._

_Ichigo was there in a flash to catch her before she hit the floor._

_"Set her down," Isshin ordered, moving his sleeves out of the way. "I'm going to have to trach her."_

_Karin's hands gripped the table so hard her knuckles turned white. He was going to slit open her throat. She was going to watch Yuzu get cut open._

_With the nerves that only come from growing up working in a clinic, Ichigo set Yuzu down, moving her hair out of the way. The knife glinted menacingly as Isshin knelt, preparing to make the incision._

_Suddenly, Yuzu inhaled a shuddering breath, sitting upright and coughing._

_The knife clattered to the ground._

_Ichigo immediately wrapped his arms around her, squeezing too tight to be comfortable. Isshin soon joined them, enveloping both of them in his embrace, and Rukia started to cry again. Karin watched it all from her seat at the table, shaking and too shocked to move._

_And from her place on the floor, Yuzu was able to gasp out two words._

_"My...body…"_

* * *

The entire Kurosaki family followed as Isshin led Yuzu from the kitchen into his living room. Karin held Yuzu's hand tightly in her own, afraid to let go. Rukia hovered behind her, eyes filled with worry. Ichigo walked beside Rukia, hands twitching in their readiness to catch the younger twin if she should fall again.

"Give her some space," Isshin ordered, carefully ushering the confused girl to the couch. Reluctantly, Karin began to remove her hand. But when her sister tightened her hold, Karin merely squeezed back and joined her on the couch.

Isshin knelt, shining a penlight into Yuzu's eyes, watching as her pupils dilated and retracted normally. "What is your name?"

The question only seemed to bewilder the girl more. "Wh-what?"

"Your name." He was rolling his fingers under her chin now, checking her lymph nodes. "What is it?"

"Yuzu," she breathed.

"What is your family name?"

"Kurosaki."

Isshin opened a drawer next to the couch and pulled out a stethoscope. "Can you name everyone in the room? Family name, given name, their relation to you."

Yuzu looked like she might cry. She was already disoriented, terrified after what had just happened. She couldn't understand why her father was asking so many questions. She blinked back tears. "Kurosaki Isshin," she started quietly. "You are my father."

"And the girl next to you?"

Karin, who had been watching her sister intently, gave her hand a reassuring squeeze when she turned to her.

Yuzu gave her a small smile in return. "Kurosaki Karin. My sister."

"When is your birthday?"

"May sixth."

"And when is Karin's?"

Yuzu frowned slightly. "The same as mine. We're twins."

Isshin nodded in approval, lifting the stethoscope to listen to her heart. "Who else is in the room?"

Yuzu's honey eyes flicked over to Rukia, who was gazing back with worry. "Ruki-nee," she murmured to herself before saying more loudly, "Kurosaki Rukia. My sister." She paused before adding "in-law" for clarification.

"What is her maiden name?" Isshin dropped the stethoscope, apparently satisfied with the sound of her heart and lungs.

"Kuchiki."

"And who is he?"

Ichigo stared at her intently, hanging on to her every word. Karin wondered what would he would do if Yuzu for some reason got an answer wrong.

"Onii-chan. Kurosaki Ichigo."

Isshin stood. "And what brand of hair dye does Ichigo use?"

Yuzu's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "He doesn't use hair dye."

"That's enough, old man," Ichigo interrupted, relief washing over his features. "She's fine."

"No I'm not," Yuzu murmured, catching everyone's attention. "What happened to me?"

"You tell us," Rukia replied gently. "One moment you were fine and the next…"

"I couldn't breathe," the light-haired twin finished. "I wasn't choking; I didn't even have anything in my mouth."

"And your throat didn't close," Isshin pondered out loud. "Everything looks as it should."

"Then what happened?" Karin demanded.

Yuzu shook her head. "I have no idea. All of a sudden I just couldn't breathe."

"And you mumbled something about your body," Karin reminded her.

Yuzu's eyes suddenly glazed over. "Yes," she said softly. "I can't feel it anymore."

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?"

"When I came to Soul Society, I still felt a connection to my body. A slight pull. Like I was straddling a doorway with a side of my body in one room and the other side in the other. But in this case, it was more like I was standing in one room and sticking my foot in the other." Yuzu paused, biting her lip. "I got so used to the feeling that I started to ignore it. But now I can't feel anything at all."

Isshin's face hardened. Abruptly, he turned, making his way out the room.

Ichigo looked at him incredulously. "Where are you going?"

Isshin looked over his shoulder at them. "To get permission to open the Senkaimon." His jaw set. "I need to see Yuzu's body."

"Will they just open it for us like that?" Karin asked incredulously.

Isshin's mouth folded into a grim line. "They'll open it for _me_. None of you are going."

"What?" Rukia scoffed indignantly. "Of course we're going!"

"That's _my _body!" Yuzu protested.

"And _my _sister," Karin reminded him.

Ichigo scowled. "What are you going on about, old man?"

"NO!" His outburst was so sudden, it startled everyone in the room. A vein visibly pumped in his jaw. His eyes flicked to Ichigo. "_You_ can come. But you three have to stay here. It may be dangerous."

Rukia looked offended. "I can take care of myself!"

A small smile graced Isshin's lips. "I know you can, Rukia-chan. But right now, I need you to take care of my daughters. And my grandchild."

The petite woman's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, realizing that it wasn't just _her _body anymore. She exhaled slowly through her nose. "If it's that dangerous, Ichigo shouldn't be going either."

Isshin grinned fully this time. "I don't know if you realize who you're married to, but he has a hero-complex. He was coming whether I wanted him to or not."

The three girls murmured in agreement. Ichigo balked. "I do _not _have a hero complex!"

Rukia elbowed the orange-haired man in the side. "Wow. I wasn't aware you had all these complexes."

"What else does he have?" Yuzu asked, brows furrowed in worry.

"Octopus," Rukia whispered loudly. Karin snorted.

"That doesn't sound good," Yuzu fretted.

"I told you, it's _Oedipus_," Ichigo snapped. He flushed at his father's raised eyebrow. "_And I don't have that!"_

"Whatever you say," Rukia replied breezily, placing a hand on Yuzu's shoulder and leading her to the door. Her eyes met Karin's, and the raven-haired twin turned to follow. "We all have a lot to talk about, anyway, so we should just let your brother play the hero. Let's go."

"Where are you going?" Ichigo asked loudly.

Rukia looked over her shoulder, irritated. "Home. I was going to take them home with me."

"That's a good idea." Isshin's face turned serious as he looked at his daughters. "I want you to stay there until we get back. It's the weekend, so you don't have classes tomorrow. Just stay put and look after each other."

"From _what_?" Karin demanded. "What are we hiding from, Dad?"

Isshin reached over and ruffled her hair, but she batted it away. The gesture was not reassuring.

His eyes softened, and for a split second, Karin saw the sadness in them. "Hopefully nothing. Go with Rukia. Your brother and I will be back."

It all seemed to be too much for Yuzu, who was so confused at this point that she was on the verge of tears. Karin, just as confused, didn't blame her. She squeezed her hand reassuringly, and saw Rukia unconsciously lean closer to the fair-haired twin.

"Be careful," Ichigo said, ruffling Yuzu's hair. Unlike Karin, Yuzu seemed to appreciate the gesture. He looked pointedly at Karin, who rolled her eyes in response (it wasn't as if she went looking for trouble! Trouble just found her!), before fixing his gaze on his wife's.

There was a long moment where they just looked at each other, no _spoken_ words passing between them, but their eyes saying it all. Then, Rukia scoffed. "We should be telling _you _that, idiot."

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo smirked. "We'll be back."

With one last meaningful look, Rukia turned, leading Yuzu towards the door. Karin reluctantly followed.

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Karin asked loudly, throwing her hands up. She was pacing, but she couldn't seem to make herself stop. Her life had never exactly been normal, but in the past few hours, it had steadily become more ridiculous.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Yuzu murmured from her place on Rukia's couch.

"Yu!" Karin protested. "We were having a perfectly normal dinner when you just fell out of your chair, and now Dad's acting like the world is out to get us. How can you not talk about it?!"

"Karin, our father almost sliced my throat open," Yuzu responded pointedly, her honeyed gaze fixed on the floor.

The guilt immediately stopped Karin in her tracks. She was being extremely insensitive. Tousling her hair agitatedly, she took a seat next to her sister. "I'm sorry Yuzu. I didn't mean to freak you out. It's just—"

"We're all freaked out," Rukia finished for her, emerging from the kitchen with two mugs of steaming tea and setting them on the coffee table in front of them. Already clad in her Chappy pajamas, the petite woman gracefully folded herself into an armchair opposite them. "Let's just talk about something else."

Karin looked at her incredulously. "What else could we _possibly _talk about?"

Rukia sighed. She was clearly as baffled as the twins were about the night's events, but was trying not dwell on it. "Well, we can talk about what Ukitake-taicho wanted with you."

Yuzu visibly perked up in interest. "Ukitake-taicho?"

Karin grew distinctly uncomfortable. So many things had happened that night, and she just hadn't had enough time to process it all and decide how she felt about it. Her new soulmate status was one of those things.

It wasn't a _bad _thing, she supposed. She did love Hitsugaya after all, and had for a really long time. But how do you explain this sort of thing to other people, even if they were your best friends? She was still kind of wary to think of herself as his girlfriend, let alone his life partner for all eternity.

Her silence only seemed to raise their interest. "Karin-chan?" Yuzu prompted.

Karin sighed. "Toshiro had asked Ukitake-taicho to do some research a long time ago, because apparently I was doing impossible things like regaining my memories and creating sparkles and showing up in his inner world for a chat."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Sparkles?"

"Sometimes when we're together our reiatsu does this weird electric sparkly thing—_really_? Out of that whole sentence, _that's_ what you're going to focus on?"

"I was also curious about the sparkles," Yuzu admitted sheepishly. "That sounds so magical and romantic!"

Karin felt her face warming. "Anyway, Ukitake-taicho wanted to talk to us because his research lead him to believe Toshiro and I...are soulmates."

Her rather dramatic announcement was met with a few moments of silence. The two other girls were looking at her like she was joking and they were waiting for the real reason Ukitake had wanted to talk to her. Once it was out there, though, Karin couldn't seem to stop the stream of words.

"He said that the idea of soulmates isn't proven because it's so rare, but he's pretty sure we are and—"

Rukia held up a hand. "Wait a minute. Are you talking fairy tale, red ribbon soulmates?"

Karin shook her head. "Apparently, soulmates are rare. Not everyone has one." She paused. "Ukitake-taicho also thinks that you and Ichi-nii are soulmates."

"Well, technically we are," Rukia smirked. "When we first met, I literally injected your brother with my soul."

"But it's more than that." Karin glanced at Yuzu, who was strangely silent. She seemed to be hanging off of her every word. "It's like...two souls that are so compatible that they merge because they never want to be apart. Except they are separated because of the cycle of souls and are never in the same places. The people involved go through life feeling like something is missing and not knowing what that something is until they are reunited. _If _they are."

Rukia's expression slowly morphed from playful to contemplative. Yuzu noticed this immediately. "Is this true, onee-chan?"

Rukia, like Ichigo, was never one to openly voice her feelings, but she seemed to forget this as she became lost in thought. Her gaze unfocused. "When I met him…there was _something_…"

"What?" Karin prodded, interested. If Ichigo and Rukia really were soulmates, maybe Rukia's experiences could help Karin understand her own.

"I'm not sure." Rukia cocked her head. "Usually when I'm assigned a town, I just roam the streets looking for Hollows. That night, though...I just had the urge to enter a house. _Your _house. And I ended up in Ichigo's room. Then later, when the Hollow attacked, I knew we were both dead, but I still offered him my power. In retrospect, it was a pointless gesture. He wouldn't survive the procedure, and it was illegal and I didn't even know him. But something told me to do it anyway."

"And he survived," Karin mused. "Because your soul wasn't invasive like it should have been. Your soul was the same as his."

"You know, onii-chan was never the same without you," Yuzu added thoughtfully. "Before he met you, he was always frowning and distant. But when you came to live with us it was like he was a whole new person."

Karin nodded. "And whenever you went back to Soul Society he would be so grumpy. Oh, and when you were gone for a year and a half—that was really hard on him. He went through the motions, but his mind wasn't there."

Rukia's violet eyes snapped to Karin's. "That's exactly how Hitsugaya-taicho acted when you died."

Karin blinked, a little dazed. "What?"

"Actually, it was worse. It was almost like he died with you." Her fingers flitted across her abdomen unconsciously. "He would eat, he would sleep, he would work. He would function. But he never smiled."

"Toshiro's not exactly the smiliest guy," the ebony-haired twin responded, her interest peaked despite her protest.

Rukia shook her head, trying to voice her thoughts accurately. "But he didn't show _any _emotion. He wouldn't even yell at Rangiku, and we both know that's one of his favorite things to do. For two years he walked around like a shell of a person. It was like nobody was home. When you died, Ichigo, he was devastated, _I_ was devastated, but Hitsugaya-taicho...he was _shattered._"

Karin's jaw dropped a little. She had never heard this before.

A thoughtful silence filled the room as they all considered what had been revealed. Yuzu twirled a long strand of hair around a finger distractedly. "I think Ukitake-taicho's right, Karin-chan."

"Me too." Rukia glanced at Karin sympathetically. "How do you feel about it?"

Of course Rukia would brush off her newfound soulmate status. She was married to her soulmate; she had planned on being with him forever anyway, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Karin, on the other hand, was merely in a secret relationship with _hers_. "I'm not sure," she answered honestly.

"And how does Toshiro-kun feel about it?" Yuzu asked.

Karin picked up her mug, her mood lessening. "I don't know. He ran off before we had a chance to talk about it."

Rukia waved her hand reassuringly. "He probably just needed time to think about it."

"Yeah!" Yuzu chimed in, noticing her twin's sudden glumness and immediately trying to reverse it. "He loves you! Ask him about it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Karin moped, huffing. "If we get let out of isolation by then."

"They said they would come back soon," Yuzu reminded her. "I thought that meant tonight."

"You're probably stuck with me for the night, Yuzu," Rukia replied. "I don't know how a trip to Urahara's could run longer than that, though. So they should be back by tomorrow morning, safe and sound."

That last part seemed to be just as much for Rukia's own benefit as Yuzu's, and Karin caught it when her hand roamed her belly again. She was pretty positive Rukia didn't even know she was doing it.

Yuzu picked up her mug resignedly. "I love spending time with you, Ruki-nee. But the not knowing…" She sighed, taking a sip of her tea before noticing something. "Onee-chan, don't you want some tea?"

Rukia shook her head with a small smile. "I can't anymore. Not if I want the baby to grow big and strong."

Yuzu beamed, the first real smile that had graced her face all night. "I can't believe I forgot!"

A grin inched its way onto Karin's face as well. "So Ichigo—"

"Reminded me that I am not alone." Rukia smiled softly. "I'm still nervous, I'm still scared, but I have Ichigo with me."

Rukia had said it with such conviction and trust, as if that was all that mattered, that Yuzu couldn't help her wistful sigh. "I have_got _to get one of these soulmate things."

* * *

The next morning while Yuzu cooked breakfast, Karin took advantage of the empty guest room and began to meditate.

It took a little longer than it usually did, as despite the walls and closed door she could hear Rukia and Yuzu talking and the clanging of pots and pans. But when she was finally able to enter her inner world, she knew immediately that something was off.

For starters, there were no beady eyes looking down at her from the fiery ceiling, nor a sassy geisha chick. She was in her inner world and had no idea where her zanpakuto was.

At least, she was pretty sure she was in her inner world. It had changed since she had last been there. The fire still remained, a flickering sky, but instead of being completely surrounded by it like before, she now found her feet standing on icy terrain. And it was snowing. How it was doing that when fire was the only thing in the up direction was beyond her.

Karin frowned, her bare feet crunching through the snow. Maybe she wasn't in her inner world. Maybe she was just dreaming again. "Hello?"

A soft breeze answered her, hot and cold at once, and a shiver went down her spine at the sensation. "Fenikkusu? Is this a joke?"

She walked past a flaming glacier, fascinated. Despite the heat, nothing in this strange place was melting.

It wasn't until she turned a corner that she saw a familiar head of multicolored hair. Her zanpakuto was turned away from her, sitting downhill by an icy river. Karin would have smiled in relief if she hadn't noticed the other person next to her.

The person was also turned away from her, and all Karin could see of them was long teal hair. Fenikkusu was flush against Teal Hair, and had intertwined her arm with theirs. Her head rested on the stranger's shoulder as they both watched the river contentedly.

Karin openly gaped. _What the hell? _She walked closer to the pair. "Fenikku—"

"Karin!"

And suddenly she was back in the guest room, dazedly looking up at Rukia's large, apologetic eyes.

"They're back," she said in explanation, removing her hand from Karin's shoulder. "Your father and brother. They're in the kitchen."

* * *

**A/N: Let me know! :)**


	41. Chapter 41

**Oh, hey guys. Just dropping by to leave this update here. Haha *author runs and hides***

**First of all, I want to thank all of you for your fabulous reviews! ****_Rapture_**** has officially hit the 1300 mark, and I can't believe it. I never could have imagined how many people would fall in love with it, and I am so thankful for all of your support!**

**I also never intended for it to become such an epic. I started out writing it with the soulmate plot being the point of the fic, but somehow throughout the years I've ended up with multiple, intersecting plots! It's actually kind of insane how much the fic expanded. Hopefully, you guys will stick with me till the end, which is not immediately in sight. I roughly know in my head the plot points I want to get through, but for all I know, things will end up diverging again. This story has a mind of its own. ^_^**

**Okay. I just want to mention that *spoiler* I hope Masaki really wasn't a Quincy, because that would make Ichigo too powerful to be interesting. He's already everything else under the sun, but Quincy too? Can we please leave that one alone? (Although now that I think about it, Masaki being a Quincy would explain Isshin and Ryuuken's random friendship...omg, what if he was Masaki's brother? And Ishida is Ichigo's cousin or something?) Anyway, I'm kinda at the point in Bleach where I just want it to end because the longer Kubo drags things out, the worse he's making the story. But whatever. Maybe Bleach is his ****_Rapture. _****It might just have a mind of its own. haha**

**Speaking of Bleach, I don't own it.**

* * *

Karin shot up so fast her vision blurred, but she ignored her wonky equilibrium and made her way to the kitchen, Rukia right behind her.

The first thing she saw was her brother, and Ichigo did not look happy— jaw locked, eyes flashing, arms crossed. Dread filled Karin's stomach, even more so when she saw her father smiling a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He was patting Yuzu's head reassuringly, but Yuzu looked more confused than sated.

"What happened?" Karin demanded.

Ichigo glared at Isshin. "That's what I want to know!" he snapped.

Rukia placed a hand on his arm, and his blazing gaze turned to her. She met it without a flinch, and Karin watched as some of the tension left his body. He exhaled slowly through his nose before saying hollowly, "Yuzu's body is dead."

The women all started at that. Rukia blinked, eyes wide. "But I thought—Urahara—"

"They got around him." Karin almost found herself flinching at her father's serious tone. "Someone evaded his senses and smothered Yuzu's body."

Silence. The twins looked at each other in bewilderment. "Why would anyone do that?" Karin demanded.

Isshin's mouth became a line. He cocked his head towards the chairs. "Sit."

Karin didn't expect the panic. She had never seen her father act so seriously, and it made panic bubble up in her chest, her heart quicken, her eyesight sharpen. She was so stunned by her body's fight or flight reaction that she stumbled towards her seat and sat in it gratefully. Yuzu sat next to her, entwining her fingers with hers. Karin found it crazy that Yuzu was comforting her when _she _was the one who had just been murdered, but squeezed her sister's fingers in thanks anyway.

Rukia sat as well, but Ichigo stubbornly remained standing. "_What is going on?_"

"Quiet, boy," Isshin snapped. "I'm trying to tell you." The kitchen filled with a stunned silence, and Isshin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Do any of you remember what I said about the Kuro clan?"

"They were massacred," Yuzu said helpfully. "And then they merged into the Shibas."

Isshin nodded, his eyes drifting to Rukia. "And do you know why they were massacred?"

Rukia frowned. "It's not really clear. The noble houses weren't taught in the Academy, and all I got from Kuchiki lessons was that the Kuro clan was becoming too liberal, and some Shibas didn't like that."

"Noble houses are proud of the fact that they are noble," Isshin replied. "To them, blood equals worth, and it is meant to be kept pure. The Kuro clan believed that was a ridiculous notion, and married for love."

"And that didn't go over so well with the Shiba clan," Karin deadpanned. "So they _murdered_ them?"

Her father merely inclined his head.

"The Shibas believed that the Kuros where blaspheming and tainting their noble line," Rukia sighed, clan culture coming to her. "And they saw it as a personal insult. Sometimes clans intermarry, and the Kuro clan marrying commoners implied that the Shiba weren't good enough for them. Also, it would make marrying the Kuro iffy, as it could potentially ruin the pure Shiba line."

"So the Shiba attacked the Kuro unawares. Not all of the Shiba, mind you, but a good portion of them. And all of them involved in the slaughter were sentenced to death, and the few survivors of the Kuro clan were invited to join the rest of the Shiba clan. This is why the Kuro clan no longer exists and the Shiba clan has so few members."

Karin swallowed. How good were the Shibas that they could so easily best her ancestors?

Ichigo growled impatiently. "This is great and all, but what does it have to do with us?"

"_Everything_," Isshin barked. "Who are you?"

The orange-haired man looked at him strangely. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Wrong. You are the son of a noble man and a human woman." Isshin looked at him pointedly. "You're tainted."

"Doubly tainted," Rukia breathed. "Of all the outsiders to enter a noble line, humans are considered the worst."

"So what?" Ichigo retorted. "That was hundreds of years ago and those people are all dead."

Rukia frowned. "Ichigo, puristic views are still prevalent. Why do you think the Kuchiki elders don't like me very much? Or why my brother's marriage was protested so harshly?"

"So what?" Karin demanded, looking her father straight in the eye. They were deep and dark, exactly like hers. "You think there's a group of nobles running around trying to kill us?"

Isshin sighed. "I didn't want to tell you before because it was just a theory. I have no proof, and I saw no reason to make all of you worry. When you died, Karin, I was suspicious, but it genuinely seemed like an accident. But Yuzu…" His eyes hardened. "Someone broke into Urahara's with the sole purpose of smothering Yuzu's body. This is no accident."

Yuzu squeezed Karin's hand, and the dark-haired twin numbly squeezed back. Despite being the one attacked, Yuzu seemed the most calm. "So what should we do, Daddy?"

"If I am correct," Isshin replied, crossing his arms over his chest in thought, "Then all of you are in danger. I'm going to talk to Yama-jii just to give him a heads up. In the meantime, you all should be very careful. Be on the lookout for anything suspicious."

Ichigo let out a growl of frustration, ruffling his hair angrily. "I'm used to people trying to kill me, but this is getting a little old. Why can't our family be normal for once?"

"Because then we wouldn't be us," Yuzu said with a smile. "Right, Karin-chan?"

But Karin wasn't smiling. She had grown up able to see ghosts, grown up running away from Hollows because she was _special_. She had watched her brother be swept away by this other world, had died on his wedding, and had lost her memories—only to regain them because she was _special_. She had gained a soulmate because she was _special_, watched her sister suffocate because she was _special, _and now, people were apparently trying to _kill_ her because she was _special._

How many things would be thrown at her? Couldn't she have _one _normal day? Just one?

Karin stood up quickly, her chair protesting loudly against the floor. Without a word, she detached her hand from Yuzu's, stepping around her father.

"Wait!" her brother called, causing her to pause mid-step. "Where are you going?"

Karin didn't even bother turning around. "Out."

"You shouldn't be going out alone," Ichigo retorted. "Weren't you listening?"

She bristled. "I was, actually. And if someone really is trying to kill us, then they've probably been doing so since I was born. I don't need to be babysat."

"You seem to be forgetting that time you went off by yourself and _died_," he snapped.

Rage overcame her. She turned to look at him, ponytail whipping at the movement, and poured as much venom into her glare as she could muster. She was a little hurt that her brother had no faith in her ability to protect herself.

And then, without a word, she stomped out of the room.

"Let her go, Ichigo," she heard Rukia say.

"Toshiro-kun won't let anything happen to her," came Yuzu's quiet voice.

But Karin didn't want to hear anything else. She made sure to slam the front door in her wake.

* * *

It didn't really surprise her that her feet took her to the Tenth Division offices. Despite the fact that the last time she had seen Hitsugaya had been awkward, the Tenth Division was someplace she always felt calm and safe. And considering the route her life was currently taking, she could really use some relaxation.

Sliding open the door without preamble, Karin was shocked to find both captain and lieutenant inside. For Matsumoto to actually be working on a weekend, they must have had a deadline coming up. Both of them looked up at her when she entered.

"Karin-chan!" Matsumoto squealed.

Hitsugaya seemed to think of his options, response a little delayed, before he finally settled on, "Hey."

But Karin didn't answer either of them. She merely sighed and belly-flopped onto the couch, burying her face into the cushions.

It was silent, but she knew that they were still communicating. She felt eyes on her, but didn't care. All she wanted was to snuggle so deep into the cushions that she became one with the couch.

"You know." Hitsugaya's voice, right above her. Though startled, Karin didn't flinch. "I think I've been working on that paperwork too long. Maybe I need a walk to clear my head."

Karin made a muffled, noncommittal noise.

But she soon felt a cool hand on her arm. "Want to come with me?"

She groaned her dissent, but when her arm was gently tugged, she obediently sat up.

Teal eyes met hers, gently asking a question she didn't feel ready to answer. She lowered her gaze.

He sighed. "Come on. I haven't had breakfast yet."

Neither had she, now that she thought about it. Compliant, she stood, allowing herself to be led from the room and catching Matsumoto's worried expression on the way out.

They walked silently. Though he had had a gentle hold on her wrist, Hitsugaya dropped it as soon as they exited the building. However, he walked close enough to her for their fingers to occasionally brush, and Karin got the sense that he desperately wanted to grab her hand. This warmed her heart, and her horrendous mood lessened a little.

He ended up taking her to a restaurant in the Eighth—"They make the best omelettes in Seireitei," he told her—that only had a few costumers. They chose a small table that was away from the other patrons and a little more private, and after each ordering an omelette—her, spinach, cheese, and tomato; him, the same with mushrooms—Toshiro sighed again. "I'm sorry for leaving so suddenly last night. The whole thing was just kind of sudden and I needed some time to process it."

"You did leave kind of quickly," Karin agreed.

His eyebrows furrowed at her nonchalant answer, and Karin quickly realized that he had thought his early departure was why she was upset. She began slowly dragging her pointer finger across the table, idly drawing a circle. Her eyes focused on the motion. "Do you love me, Toshiro?" she asked softly.

In her periphery, she saw him start, saw his eyes widen. "You know that I do," he replied just as quietly.

Her gaze met his, but her finger continued its endless loop. "Why?"

"What kind of question is that?" A tint took over his cheeks.

"I want to know." Eyes back on the table. "Ukitake-taicho got me thinking. If this soulmates thing is true, then I...I want to know whether you love me for me, or because you have to."

A hand reached out to stop her circle-drawing one. Hitsugaya slowly turned her palm upwards, his thumb beginning its own circle dance on its surface. "Do you feel forced to love me?" he asked carefully.

Karin couldn't help the chuckle that slipped through her lips. "Of course not."

He inclined his head pointedly. "And neither do I." He cleared his throat. "I love how you don't let anyone tell you what your limits are. I love how your eyebrows knit together when you're mad, and your eyes light up when you're happy. I love how much you love your family, and your weird obsession with omelettes. Feel free at any point to stop me from further humiliating myself."

At this point, Karin was as red as he was, but she was grinning. "You can stop," she conceded, removing her hand from his when she saw the waitress headed towards their table. The omelettes, steaming enticingly, were placed in front of them, and Karin wasted no time digging into hers. She moaned appreciatively as the egg and cheese melted on her tongue. "You're right. These are good."

"I'm glad you like them." While his mouth didn't smile, his eyes did, and Karin blushed again, remembering what he said about her and omelettes.

"Got nothing on yours, though," she teased.

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. Then, more seriously, he asked, "Was that what you were upset about? Before?"

Karin chewed slowly, her mood souring slightly again. "No." Whether he really loved her had been plaguing her mind, but it was only a part of a much bigger issue. Now that she had been eased somewhat, she felt a little more inclined to tell him. Looking around to make sure no one was in earshot and leaning over the table a little, she murmured, "My father thinks someone is trying to kill me."

"_What?_" His volume startled her, as well as a few of the other customers. Inhaling sharply and lowering his voice, he asked, "Is this a joke?"

So she told him. She told him about how Yuzu began suffocating at dinner, and how Isshin had almost slashed her throat open to clear her airway. She told him about how Yuzu's body had apparently been smothered, and the history of her noble bloodline. And when she looked down and found her plate empty and his mostly untouched, she asked, "Are you going to eat that?"

* * *

**A/N: And the plot thickens! I thought about continuing a little after that, but I liked the way it ended there, and it provides a nice pause before the upcoming part. Because of that, it's a little bit shorter than I usually write. Sorry about that!**

**Also, sorry about the sporadic updating. But because I'm in my senior year of uni, life is starting to get the best of me. Luckily, I'm on break in a couple weeks. Hopefully I can get a good chunk of writing done! :D**

**Let me know!**


	42. Chapter 42

**Woot! Another long awaited update! And I just hit 100k words and 1400 reviews! I never thought this story would make it this far. Thank you guys so much for supporting me through the years and wasting your time reading it. It really does mean a lot to me. (And thanks for putting up with my flighty muse. You guys are awesome!)**

**Not gonna say much more, just ****_OMG so much has happened in Bleach since I last updated! _*****Spoilers* Yama-ji dead, yo! And Ichiruki being naked together (I had so much fun with that you guys don't even know. Unless you follow me on tumblr, in which case you know very well). And Masaki is a Quincy (which I'm currently not feeling. But I'm mega excited for this week's chapter because ****_Ichiruki parallels aksjd;ljds;fja'_****). And WTF was up with Kubo throwing KenUno out there and then squashing it in like three chapters? WHY DID HE MAKE ME FEEL THINGS FOR THEM AND THEN BREAK MY HEART? Honestly, Kubo.**

**I can go on, but I won't. For more of me spouting my feels, please check out my tumblr. lol (That's also where I wrote Hitsukarin smut that kind of embarrasses me. Shhhh!)**

**I don't own Bleach.**

* * *

**Previously on ****_Rapture:_**

**_Hitsugaya rolled his eyes. Then, more seriously, he asked, "Was that what you were upset about? Before?"_**

**_Karin chewed slowly, her mood souring slightly again. "No." Whether he really loved her had been plaguing her mind, but it was only a part of a much bigger issue. Now that she had been eased somewhat, she felt a little more inclined to tell him. Looking around to make sure no one was in earshot and leaning over the table a little, she murmured, "My father thinks someone is trying to kill me."_**

**_"What?" His volume startled her, as well as a few of the other customers. Inhaling sharply and lowering his voice, he asked, "Is this a joke?"_**

**_So she told him. She told him about how Yuzu began suffocating at dinner, and how Isshin had almost slashed her throat open to clear her airway. She told him about how Yuzu's body had apparently been smothered, and the history of her noble bloodline. And when she looked down and found her plate empty and his mostly untouched, she asked, "Are you going to eat that?"_**

* * *

"Karin. Focus." Toshiro rubbed his temples tiredly. "This is serious."

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped, spearing a portion of his omelette with her chopsticks and sliding it onto her plate. "Everything is always serious with me. I'm a walking mess."

His eyes softened. "You're not a mess."

"Quit lying," she scoffed, pointing her chopsticks at him accusingly. "I have so much going on with me right now it's ridiculous. I bet you wish you'd found yourself a more normal girlfriend that doesn't set shit on fire or claim parts of your soul or get assassinated."

His lips angled downward, annoyed. "Don't talk like that. No one's going to kill you." The unspoken_ I won't let them_ hovered between them. "And I don't want a normal girlfriend. I want you."

Karin felt her face heat up, but she grinned. "You know, for such a serious guy, you really are a softie."

"Shut up," he muttered, his own face a pretty shade of pink. He stabbed what remained of his omelette with his chopsticks, shoveling a piece into his mouth.

"So romantic," Karin laughed, pretending to swoon.

Her secret boyfriend merely rolled his eyes, focusing on his food.

She wasn't sure how he did it, but Karin felt a million times better. Yes, her life was a mess, but her life had _always _been a mess—it was just now a little messier. And it couldn't be that bad if the man across from her was willing to help her through it, could it?

Still smiling, she leaned slightly over the table. Her ears burned. "If it's any conciliation," she murmured, gaining his full attention, "You're the one I want too."

He was silent for a moment, his face's pink tint now a little on the red side. But then he smiled, a small upturning of lips, and she felt his fingers ghost over hers.

They ate the rest of their meal in a comfortable silence that wasn't broken until they were on their way back to the Tenth.

"I have to get back to work." Hitsugaya sighed, and Karin could tell he was slightly frustrated. "Matsumoto and I have a deadline coming up. You're welcome to hang around, though."

Karin shook her head. "I think I'm going to head home and meditate a little. Clear my head." She paused. "If that's okay with you, I mean."

Hitsugaya tilted his head slightly in confusion before he realizing what she was asking. His eyes widened. "Of course. Any time."

"Thanks," Karin said quietly, pulling him into a one-armed hug. Hugging was something she used to do before they were dating, she reasoned with herself. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary. No one would think anything of it.

But then his arm wound around her waist and she was flush against his side and his smell was all around her and her eyes fluttered shut and for a split second all she wanted to do was bury her face into his chest and cry because she was happy and nervous and confused and _frustrated._

But she did none of those things. Instead, she stepped away before their hug stopped looking platonic and thanked him for buying her breakfast.

* * *

Rukia sighed as Karin slammed the door behind her, rattling the doorframe. "You shouldn't have said that," she said quietly, rubbing her temples tiredly.

Ichigo, pacing like a lion in a cage, snapped his head in her direction. "What?"

"You just implied that she can't protect herself." She saw Isshin quietly slip through the door, and mentally prepared herself for a confrontation that needed to happen. "I've told you this before. That is an insult to a warrior."

"She's not a _warrior_," Ichigo growled. "She's my baby sister, Rukia!"

Rukia's violet eyes looked hard as steel. "And a warrior. She has her own life to live, and she can make her own decisions. You can't protect everyone, Ichigo."

"Yes I can."

Her face softened again. "Then why is Yuzu dead?"

Amber eyes widened, a mix of hurt and anger on her husband's face. Even Yuzu herself seemed startled by her blunt words.

She stood then, approaching her husband like one would a frightened animal and placing a hand on his arm. "I know it's hard," she murmured gently. "But you can't shelter them anymore—it only makes them sitting ducks. They have to learn to protect themselves." There was a tick in his jaw, but Ichigo was listening. "And you have to take your own advice. You're not in this alone, Ichigo. You have to allow us to protect _your_ back as well."

Ichigo ruffled his hair in frustration, but Rukia could tell from his expression that he knew she was right. He exhaled slowly through his nose. "I have to get to the office."

Rukia's eyebrow quirked in annoyance, but she did not push him away when he bent down to press his lips to hers. "Ichigo," she warned.

The orange-haired man merely nodded faintly before exiting the house.

Rukia sighed, running a hand through her hair agitatedly.

"Are you okay, Onee-chan?" Yuzu asked softly.

The dark-haired woman turned, violet eyes softening. "I'm fine, Yuzu," she replied, walking over and sitting back down in the chair next to her. "But how are you? This is a lot to take in."

"It is," Yuzu admitted, eyes downcast. She had braided her long hair into single plait that morning, and now she played distractedly with the end. "But I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Rukia prodded gently.

Yuzu inhaled deeply. "It's definitely scary that someone is trying to kill us. But honestly...I'm just happy not to be in the dark anymore." Her gaze met Rukia's, and her eyes shone with unshed tears. "All my life, my family has been keeping secrets from me. I could never see ghosts as well as onii-chan or Karin-chan, and so I was oblivious about a lot of things for a long time. I know they did it to protect me, but I'm not a weak little girl that needs protecting anymore."

Rukia placed a hand on her arm. "You're not," she agreed, smiling.

Yuzu smiled back, wiping at her eyes with the back of a hand. "We need to protect each other. Just like you said."

Rukia was surprised when Yuzu wrapped her arms around her, patting the girl on the back comfortingly.

"Are you scared, Ruki-nee?" Yuzu whispered into her neck.

"No," she answered confidently. Not for herself, at least. "Things'll turn out okay. They always do."

The sandy-haired twin nodded decisively, then let go. "I should find Karin," she said, standing. "She seemed pretty upset."

"She's probably at the Tenth." Rukia stood as well. "I'll go with you. I have to head in that direction anyway."

* * *

To say Matsumoto Rangiku was going crazy was an understatement.

Rukia watched with amusement as her friend practically fell out of her chair in her rush to get to them. If it was one thing that Matsumoto hated, it was not knowing things, and from the way she was acting, no one had bothered to tell her what was going on.

"Spit it out, Rukia," she wheedled, batting her eyelashes furiously.

Rukia scoffed. That was probably the way she got information out of men, but no amount of flirting was going to convince Rukia to do what she wanted. She was going to tell her because she deserved to know.

"Have you seen Karin-chan, Matsumoto-san?" Yuzu asked.

"Yes!" the blonde replied, a bit of frustration in her voice. "She came in here really upset and taicho took her to breakfast. What's going on? Did she fail a test?" She gasped. "Is she pregnant too?"

Yuzu's eyes went wide.

"No," Rukia interrupted shortly before Matsumoto's guesses could get more ridiculous. "Rangiku, this is serious."

Matsumoto's eyes lost their playful glint, her mouth its teasing smile. At those words, she became who she frequently did when need be—a true fukutaicho of the Tenth Division. "What happened?"

"This isn't gossip," Rukia said softly, in case someone was walking by in the hallway. "You can't tell anyone. This is life or death."

Now Matsumoto looked really concerned. "You know I never gossip about important things, Rukia." Her eyes went from the small woman to the sandy-haired girl. "_What's going on?_"

"Someone is trying to kill us," Yuzu blurted, smacking a hand over her mouth immediately after.

The fukutaicho's blue-gray eyes darkened, hard as steel. "What?"

Rukia sighed. "Yuzu officially died last night. Someone smothered her body. Isshin believes that Shiba purists are after all of us."

"How did—" The blonde's mouth tightened, and she gave Rukia a look. _We'll talk later. _"How are you, hon?" she asked Yuzu instead.

Yuzu gave her a small smile. "I'm fine. Karin-chan seemed really upset though..."

Matsumoto winked. "Don't you worry about her. Taicho will take care of it!"

"What are you volunteering me to take care of?" Hitsugaya shut the office door behind him, an annoyed look on his face. He nodded a greeting to Rukia and Yuzu before returning his attention to his fukutaicho. "You know I hate it when you volunteer me for things without talking to me about it beforehand."

Matsumoto blinked innocently. "I was just telling them how you'll take good care of Karin-chan." She smirked. "_Really_ goodcare of her."

The innuendo was not lost on the icy captain, and a flush rose up the back of his neck. He glared at her. "_Matsumoto!_"

"Where is Karin anyway?" Rukia asked, frowning. "We assumed she would be with you."

"She was," Toshiro confirmed, ruffling his snowy hair with a hand. "But she wanted to meditate, and I have work to do."

Inwardly, Rukia sighed. Karin had always been the kind of person to take things in stride, but this seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Both of the Kurosaki girls were taking this new development in their lives hard, each in their own way. Ichigo was flipping out, as expected when his family was involved. And Rukia—

"I have work to do as well," she said. "Rangiku, when do you go to lunch?"

It was easier to be the calm and collected one when she didn't think about herself.

* * *

Karin frowned at the bookcase.

She thought that she remembered which books Toshiro had removed last time, but after a few fruitless tries, she realized she had no clue.

Why was it so hard to find the door handle? Had he moved it somehow?

_I hope these weren't in some sort of order_, she mused to herself as she placed another set of books on the desk behind her. Vaguely, she noticed they were about kido technique and theory. Borrowing them later would be a good idea.

In her impatience, she dropped the next one she picked up, the book seemingly jumping from her clumsy fingers. A slip of paper fluttered to the floor with it.

Curious, Karin picked them both up, turning the paper over. She recognized it immediately.

Her frown disappeared, quickly replaced with a grin that rivaled the her on the paper. _We were so young then_, she mused, running her thumb down the photobooth printout. _Or at least I was._

She couldn't believe he had kept it after all these years. Well, its mate was in her room right now, so obviously she had kept hers as well. But Hitsugaya had never struck her as the sentimental type.

It made her feel giddy.

Officially slap-happy, Karin slid the photo-strip back into the book, which happened to be about soccer. Oh, Hitsugaya Toshiro was a smooth one.

After that, it only took her a few more tries to find the door handle, situated in an area she was sure she had checked already. As soon as she turned it, she couldn't help but pause.

It had been a while since she had set foot into the completely white room.

To be fair, for a while she wasn't sure she was welcome back into Hitsugaya's sanctuary. And a lot of things had happened between now and then. Still, when she entered, it was exactly how she remembered it—empty.

Shutting the door behind her, Karin made her way to the center of the room, sitting cross-legged on the cushioned floor. The stark silence was unnerving, and she questioned whether she truly wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

Ignoring a shiver that went up her spine, Karin closed her eyes, willing herself to concentrate on her breathing.

She wasn't sure if it was the stillness of the room or if she was simply getting better at meditating, but it didn't take very long for her to enter this time. Wind ruffled her hair, hot and cold at once, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself sitting on a snowbank.

She wasn't dressed for winter weather, but the slight coolness of the snow wasn't uncomfortable—just different. It tingled where the snow met her bare legs, and not in a hypothermic kind of way. In fact, what she was feeling could hardly be described as _cold—_but she could see her breath. It was extremely off-putting.

Confused, Karin stood, brushing snow off the back of her legs and looking around. The sky was aflame, just like this morning, although it wasn't snowing this time. An icy river trickled five feet away, its water seeming to glow.

_How big is this place? _she wondered. She had no idea where she was, and she didn't know where her zanpakuto could be. Shrugging, Karin began following the river downhill. Fenikkusu had been sitting next to the river before; maybe she was doing the same now.

Karin scoffed to herself. Why it was hard to find her zanpakuto in her own inner world was beyond her. Wasn't this where she lived? Was she even allowed to leave?

She ended up walking for a few minutes before she saw a figure standing by the river, and it was not the figure she was looking for.

He was turned away from her, but she immediately remembered him from this morning. Long, teal hair fluttered in the breeze, as well as the sleeves of the purple kimono he wore. As she walked towards him, snow crunching underfoot, he turned, icy gray eyes meeting hers. A large scar took over most of his face.

"Hi," she said awkwardly, not sure what to say to someone who was not supposed to be in her inner world. She rubbed her arms, absently, though she wasn't cold.

"Hello," he responded, his eyes warm.

"You wouldn't happen to be Fenikkusu, would you?" Hey, it was worth a shot. This wouldn't be the first time her zanpakuto switched forms on her.

"No." The man looked amused, the corners of his mouth reaching upwards.

Karin waited for him to elaborate, or at least explain what he was doing there, but he didn't. Her eyes narrowed. "Do you know where she is?"

He didn't answer her, merely gazing back across the river.

Well, this was just peachy. She sighed, looking across the river herself. She didn't see the opposite shore. She wondered if there even was one.

"Do I know you?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of the icy water. "I feel like I've seen you before."

"Yes."

She could feel his eyes on her, and she glanced at him out of her peripherals. "Can you give more than one-word answers?"

She saw him smirk. "I can."

Karin rolled her eyes. _Looks like we have a smartass on our hands._

Suddenly, she felt cool fingers glide down her face. She jumped, not expecting him to touch her, and shuddered. Her eyes snapped to his.

_"Do you trust me?"_ a memory whispered.

"_You_," she gasped, eyes widening. She knew she had seen him before, and not just this morning. She had seen him in her dreams. "You pushed me! _Off of a cliff!_"

The man didn't deny it, only tilted his head.

"Why are you here?" Karin gestured around them wildly. "Who are you?"

"I am here because this is where I belong." He looked slightly sad. "And you know who I am."

Oh, she was fed up with his non-answers. "I wouldn't ask if I knew!"

His sad eyes gave her a long look, before returning to the water. "You do know. You've always known."

She blinked, processing that. Then, knowing she wasn't going to get much more out of him, she returned to her senses, opening her eyes to a completely white room.

With purpose, she exited the room, the office, the house. And when she appeared in the Tenth Division offices for the second time that day, she barely noticed all of the people occupying the room.

"Karin-chan!" Yuzu cried.

"We've been looking all over for you," Rukia said, relief evident in her tone.

But it Hitsugaya's words were the only ones she heard. "I thought you wanted to meditate!"

"I did already," she answered distractedly. Behind his chair, Hyourinmaru was propped against a wall. She eyed the sword thoughtfully.

Hitsugaya was noticeably puzzled. "But it hasn't even been twenty minutes."

She ignored him, walking straight past him and picking up the sheathed sword.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What are you—"

Karin unsheathed the sword partway, pressing a hand to the flat of the blade.

It was instantaneous. They both visibly shuddered, Karin's body filled with the same strange feeling as before. Hitsugaya's eyes unconsciously fluttered shut.

But, faster than she had known possible, he ripped her hand off the blade. "_What are you doing?_" he hissed, face red.

Karin blinked slowly, dazedly looking around the room. Matsumoto's eyebrows had disappeared into her hairline. Rukia's mouth hung slightly open. Yuzu was staring at them with an intensity that she hadn't seen from her in a long time.

Her eyes went down to the sword still partway in her hand. "I just wanted to say hi properly." She swallowed, meeting Hitsugaya's gaze again. "I'm sorry. Did it hurt?"

His blush seemed to intensify. "...No. Just...don't do that again."

"Did it tickle?" Yuzu asked.

"I really don't want to talk about it," he ground out, carefully taking back his zanpakuto from Karin. Their fingers did not touch.

Matsumoto sent him a knowing look, grinning at her captain's discomfort.

Yuzu cocked her head to the side quizzically. "You don't like her stroking your sword?"

Hitsugaya was practically purple at this point, the poor guy. His eyes were wide as saucers, mouth opening and closing soundlessly. Most people saw Yuzu's sweet face and demeanor and saw innocence. Surely that couldn't have come out of Yuzu's mouth! She must not have known how it sounded!

But Karin knew better. Her twin knew exactly what she had said. Yuzu could out-perv almost anyone. She was quite like their dad in that aspect.

"Yuzu!" Karin chastised, completely embarrassed but unable to stop her amused snort from escaping.

Yuzu blinked with wide, _innocent_ eyes. "What?"

The dark-haired twin grinned, walking over and looping an arm through her sister's. "Don't _what_ me." Her eyes drifted back to the zanpakuto, now being held protectively by its owner.

_"You've always known."_

She had.

* * *

**A/N: So I had to add that last part because a little while ago I had an epiphany—Yuzu is totally a pervert! Remember that time Rukia went into Ichigo's room and Isshin and Yuzu pressed their ears to the door all creepy-like ****_because they were waiting for Ichiruki to have sex? _****Because I do, folks. I do. And I think it's a fun aspect to add to Yuzu's character. She ain't innocent! :D**

**Let me know!**


End file.
